Wanna Play A Game
by Nikki14u
Summary: This is not your average OTH story. This tale is about evil in its purest form and one particular night of hell that involves all of your favorite Tree Hill characters and one name that no one could or would ever forget.
1. Lets Play The Game

**Summary:** This is not your average OTH story. This tale is about evil in its purest form and one particular night of hell that involves all of your favorite Tree Hill characters and one name that no one could or would ever forget. Jigsaw (from the movie SAW)

**WARNING:** This story contains sensitive matters, some language and extreme acts of violence. Readers discrection is advised.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do NOT own One Tree Hill, it's characters, Jigsaw or the movie SAW!

**TEASER**

The thick, sour stench of death surrounded them like a dense fog in the night causing everyone in the dark room to gasp for even the slightest scent of clean, untainted air. Each one knew they were not alone because of the sounds of heavy intakes of breath that were not their own coming for all directions of the room. What they could tell about it was that it was humid, wet and cramped due to the fact that they were all in some way or form touching one another.

Those who were near a wall knew that it had to be some type of chamber because of its cold steel and smooth surface. The enclosed space also held the sounds of beads of water crashing against the hard surface leading them to believe that they had to be in some sort of factory or abandoned water company but soon they would find out that it was much worse then they could have ever imagined.

"Hello?" a voice called out to those around him. Immediately everyone knew who it was and dreaded being in such a confined space with the man.

"This is Mayor Scott and I demand to know what the hell's going on?"

"Of course you would because everything and everyone has to work on your time, right? Ladies and gentlemen I give you Dan Scott king of the assholes"

"Nathan?" the man questioned and if it hadn't been for blackness that blocked his vision the boy would have seen the look of anger his father was throwing his way.

"Oh my God Nathan?" a delicate voice called out into the darkness with her arms out stretched trying to find the source of the voice.

"Haley?" replied another woman.

"Brooke, where are you? What the hell's going on here?"

That was Peyton. Her voice was full of panic and fear.

"Ok everybody just calm down. There has to be a way out of here" replied Keith to the sea of unseen faces. He was just as scared as the rest of them but he knew he had to remain unruffled and in control. The last thing these kids needed was him freaking out.

"He's right" Deb spoke from her position on the floor. If there had been light in the room those around her would have seen the woman wringing her hands together in anything but a calm state. To be quite honest she was scared shitless. "We're going to find a way out of this but that can only happen if we're thinking rationally"

A pain filled moan suddenly erupted from yet another one of the small room's occupants. No one knew who the person was but because of the deepness of the vocal cord vibrations they were sure that their new guest was in fact a male. Everyone held their breaths and didn't move a muscle as they waited for the person to speak.

"Hello?" the boy called out.

Peyton recognized the voice instantly and met it with mixed emotions of happiness and terror.

"Jake?" she whispered but in the stillness of the room it sounded more like a shout.

"Peyton is that you?" questioned Jake while gruntingly making his way to his feet. He began moving forward towards the sound of her voice but stumbled backwards when running into something that felt like a brick wall.

"Hey, watch it kid"

"Sorry Mr. Scott" he replied not needing light to know that it was Dan.

"Ouch!" another person cried out from the other side of the room as Peyton tried to fight the blinding darkness in order to get to her former boyfriend. She knew that given the circumstances she wouldn't get very far but she had to at least make an attempt.

"Ok, can everyone please just stop moving? It's obvious that we're in a very small space so we don't have any extra room for unnecessary movements" said Haley trying to get a hold of her self. As much as she wanted to find Nathan she knew it was virtually impossible given their situation.

"So what are we supposed to do just stand here and wait for the psycho that put us in here to come back and kill us? I'm sorry tutor wife but that's not going to happen" shouted Brooke. This whole situation was growing creepier by the minute. She wondered why they were all there and she couldn't shake the feeling that this was no coincidence. Someone wanted them there and it wasn't for a good reason.

"No Brooke that's not what Haley meant" Karen spoke finally letting her presence be known. "She's just saying that it makes no sense for us to do anything to make our situation even worse. We have to stay together, the last thing we need is to be fighting with one another and that's exactly what the pushing and foot stomping is going to result in"

"Lovely so I get to spend God only knows how long here, in the dark with all of you while making nice and hoping we get out of here alive"

"Newsflash Dan none of us want to be trapped here with you either and like I said, we need to stick together if we're going to get through this" sighed a frustrated Karen. It always amazed her how few words from the man could make her want to kill him.

"To hell with this, you people can sit here and wait for the vermin responsible for this to show up and hack you to pieces but I'm getting out of here"

"Be reasonable Dan. There's no light in here and we're obviously in a sealed off room, so how far do you think you're actually going to get?" replied Deb as she got to her feet.

"Hey I'm not going to sit here and do nothing while some murder figures out how he's going to end my life" Dan continued as he pushed Jake out of his way, causing him to fall to the ground taking a just awakening Skills down with him.

"What the hell?" questioned the stunned boy.

"Skills?"

It was Bevin who spoke as she too was knocked off balance by the Mayor of Tree Hill.

"Dan!" shouted Karen. "I thought we all agreed to stay still. What the hell are doing anyway?"

"I'm looking for a light switch since none of you want to do anything but sit on your asses and for the record I agreed to nothing"

"Sorry Karen but Danny doesn't play nicely with others. It's a problem stemming from childhood" replied Keith, trying to lighten the mood with no luck.

"Got it!" the man excitedly yelled as light filled the room instantly, blinding all in attendance.

It seemed as if it had taken forever for them to regain their sight but once they did, they immediately regretted it.

The room its self looked worse than it smelled and the reason of the smell made them all want to vomit.

Their particular hell looked like an old abandoned restroom with ruined toilets that were splattered with feces all over them and the surrounding walls. The floors that too were covered in a foreign substance were also cracked and molded and littered with roaches and maggots there were feeding off of the three dead bodies that were laying in various places and positions of the room. Obviously they were the last victims of the maniac that they now found themselves at the mercy of.

Haley ran to Nathan who held a look of bewilderment on his face as his eyes slightly bulged out of their sockets.

Brooke screamed in shock and would have fallen to the ground if it weren't for Jake and Peyton supporting her full weight.

Deb had turned her back to the gruesome discovery and was now crying with her face pressed up against the wall, praying that this was all just a dream.

Bevin was sobbing hysterically as Skills tried his best to console her.

"Oh my God" cried Karen as she leaned into the man next to her for comfort. She had her arms wrapped tightly around his waist and had her head buried in his chest as she repeated her words over and over again. Dan held her close and continued to stare at everything around him, not believing that this was real or rather hoping it wasn't.

"We have to get out of here" Keith spoke to himself more then to those around him and even if he were speaking to them they were too horrified to pay him any attention.

Not being able to sight of the unfortunate souls or the disgusting human waste that he found himself standing in he focused on a large object hidden by a black sheet.

This couldn't mean anything good.

With his curiosity getting the best of him the elder Scott took a daring step in the direction of the mysterious item. Stepping over the rotting remains with extreme difficulty he continued on to the captivating subject. Just as he was about to touch it a loud, deep raspy voice forced brought his actions to a screeching halt.

"_It's not nice to touch things that don't belong to you Mr. Scott"_

Everyone in the room froze and became silent collectively almost as if they could read each other's minds.

As their eyes scanned the room for the source of the eerie voice they were forced to look at one of the corpuses that had been propped up into a sitting position. It had no legs and only possessed half an arm. The soul that once occupied the body had long since been gone but yet, some how the mouth still moved.

Only a mad man would take the time to wire up a dead body so the Tree Hill residents knew that they had one hell of a fight ahead of them. They were also aware that not all of them would make it out alive.

"_Now be a good boy and rejoin your friends and family" the voice commanded. _

OnceKeith was back in his original place the psychopath pressed on.

"_I'm sure you're all wondering what you're doing here so allow me to explain. I consider myself to be a great educator and today I have much to teach you about your life and what it's supposed to mean. You see most of you are used to getting everything you want and are willing to do whatever it takes to get it. Whether it's stealing, killing, manipulating or using money or perhaps preying on the weakness of other if it suites your needs, you're not above any of things but that's ok, you'll learn to do better tonight I'm sure." The man then took a deep breath before continuing._

"_Then there are those of you who already have everything necessary to live a happy life. Your greed disgusts me!" _he yelled causing everyone in the room to jump_. "You feel that being rich is the only thing that's important so you see people as your personal possessions. You see them as toys to be played with and when you're done you simply cast them aside with complete and total disregard for their feelings. Next we have some of you who are always at the mercy of those in your lives. I like to refer to you as the tragic ones. You're strong for everyone else but when it comes to your own lives you become weak, whinny and self-pitying. Afraid of life when you should be grateful that you still posses a good quality of it. So to break you all of your nasty little habits I have set up several missions if you will, to help you cleanse yourselves. But be careful. If you fail you will suffer fatal consequences"_

"Yo I'm not about to play any game with some deranged ass lunatic"

"_Now, now Skills be nice. I am merely trying to help you my dear boy and as far as my games of education go I get the feeling that you will be participating"_

"I'm with Skills there's no way we're going to be playing any twisted games for your amusement you sick freak. Now let me and my friends go" Jake said stepping up next to Keith who was trying desperately to rid himself of the sickening feeling in his stomach as his eyes remained fixated on the mystery behind the black curtain.

"_Ingrates!" the man shouted once again gaining everyone's full attention. "But very well. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to threaten you to save your own lives but that's ok I always have a back up plan"_

Looking at the corpuses scattered about the room Nathan began to worry even more. Something about this, besides the obvious didn't feel right. It was as though someone was missing. He now spoke in a calm tone to mask what he was feeling "Ok so what is this all about and what do you mean when you say that you have a back up plan?"

"_I'm so glad you asked" he said as the darkened flesh that represented him raised its stub and gestured in the direction of the object located in the center of the room. "Behind that curtain is someone you all know and love. Perhaps the only person that you would do anything to save, forcing you to take a break from your usually self-centered and shallow lives and if you don't play my game this person will experience a slow and painful death"_

"There's no way I'm getting myself killed for anyone you sick bastard" Brooke shouted. This maniac wasn't going to kidnap her and her friend and stick them in this hell whole and honestly expect her to go with the flow. "So you can take your threats and you stupid ass games and stick them straight up your…" the girl was all set to finish her tirade when the curtain dropped, revealing the person inside.

There, hanging by his arms, suspended by chains was Lucas. The young Scott was in nothing but his boxers and appeared to be unconscious.

"Lucas!" cried Karen as she lunged forward, trying desperately to get to her child.

"_I wouldn't do that if I were you" the man said just as red beams of light surrounded the chamber._

"Ok, this is over, you hear me! Let him go, NOW" a frantic Keith shouted already aware that his efforts were in vain.

"You let my son out of there or I swear to God I will hunt you down and kill you with my bare hands!"

"_So now, when his life is in danger Lucas has become good enough to be called your son? Oh Danny you slay me" the killer laughed, mocking the man's love for his child. "Where was that fatherly love when he was growing up? Where was all that passion when he was a little boy who would occasionally beg for your attention?"_

"Got to hell!" replied Dan. He didn't want to admit it but he knew the man was right and it hurt like hell.

"_Now that you're all nice and quiet again I will tell you what will happen to your precious son, nephew, step son, lover and friend. Upon walking into the hallway behind one of these doors you will be confronted with a task and will be rewarded with a key or number that will aid you in setting this young man free"_

"What the hell are you talking about?" questioned a anxious Dan.

"_You know Mr. Scott if you're not careful that impatient attitude of yours will be the death of you"_

"Just shut up Dad and let him finish" added Nathan who was growing more and more scared not only for himself and his friends but for his brother whom was being held at the mercy of this evil son of a bitch, possibly even more so then any one else.

"_Now if you're through interrupting me I'll finish explaining. If you'll kindly look at the bottom of the chamber you will see that it has several pipes placed around it with the opening of the tubes inside with young Lucas. Those pipes lead to a bin that contains acid"_

Everyone in the room gasped and let out small whimpers but yet no words were spoken, instead they listened intently to their captor.

"_The tank will fill with acid and slowly burn the skin off of the boy within four hours of those doors behind you opening. These doors will lock the instant that the last person exits the room. For each one of those locks there is a key. Next there will be a gate surrounding the chamber before you. For this cage again there are three keys. One will turn off the laser beams, one will open the gate the other will shut off the timer connected to the acid bin, therefore stopping the liquid from filling the chamber. Then there will be two more keys. One to open the chamber its self and the other to unlock the hand cuffs. There will also be four numbers given that will deactivate the alarm system and open the steel front door and allow you to leave your confined surroundings. Every key and number will be awarded to you at the completion of your task"_

"What if we don't make it?" Keith heard his own voice ask.

"_Then one of the remaining players will collect if for you"_

"What if we get all the keys and the codes and at the last second we can't save him" cried Brooke hurt and angry that someone would do something like this.

"_Then this place and everything held therein shall be your tomb and the darkness will surround you once again. But not before you watch Lucas slowly burn. So boys and girls I ask you now. Wanna play a game?"_

They all looked at each other with fear and sorrow knowing that there was only one answer yet no one possessed the will nor the ability to give voice to it.

Stepping forward the only person who could part their lips and produce sound spoke up for the group.

"Yes" Peyton said through tear filled eyes. "Lets play the game"


	2. Deb Scott: Playing With Fire

**Thanks so much for the reviews guys! You're the best!**

**Chapter One: Deb Scott**

It was silent again as everyone waited for their captor to speak. He was taunting them and they knew it. He wanted them to suffer and was obviously trying to build suspense for his own personal amusement and was probably enjoying watching them sweat. They now found themselves wanting to hear his voice, as creepy as it was, if only to be sure that he was still listening to them and that he hadn't decided to kill Lucas for the hell of it or because of their reluctance to play his game. Suddenly a heavy, horrid, ear piercing laugh filled the air mocking them and forcing the group to shudder.

This man was about as demonic as they come.

"_See I told you that you all would play the game. Now don't we all feel better knowing that we're all on the same page?"_

"Just open the damn door so we can get this over with!" yelled Skills growing angry and frustrated by the man's arrogant demeanor.

"_Well, well look who's eager to get on with the festivities when only moments ago you told me that you weren't going to play any game with some deranged ass lunatic. My, my how the tables have turned"_

"Can we please get on with this? Please. I just want to go home. I want things to go back to the way they were" a quieter voice spoke from the opposite side of the room as everyone turned around to steal a glance of the woman who had spoken.

The raven haired girl had dark streaks sliding down her face and her eyes never left the face of the boy trapped behind the clear walls. She found herself wondering just how everything had gone so wrong so quickly. Just this morning they were spending some much needed time together in the park, holding hands, kissing and telling each other how much they loved one another. All seemed right in her world a few short hours ago but now they were pawns in some psycho's game with no possible way out and with death lurking around every corner a part of her knew that they were not going to make it out alive.

Her only wish was that she would be able to see his face one more time and to tell him how much he meant to her and how empty her life would have been without him. Suddenly she found herself regretting all the time she had spent with those other guys at the beginning of the summer. She wished that she would have been able to put her foolish pride aside and tell him how much she missed him and that she wanted, no needed to be with him and that she was in love with him, mind, body and soul. But she hadn't. Instead she chose to waste precious time playing stupid mind games that only ended up hurting them both and putting them on a collision course with a man who's face she had yet to see.

Now their lives were about to change in ways that she could have never imagined and there was no going back. What's done is done and now she would have to live with the choices she's made until she drew her very last breath.

"She's right" said Jake. The sound of his voice brought the girl back to reality as her body began to shake in fear of the unknown. "You wanted us to agree to participate in your little educational lessons and we have so the time for talking is done. Open the door so we can save our friend"

"_Sure" _the voice replied rather nonchalantlyas the sound of a door unlocking filled the room. One of the heavy steal doors creaked open slowly as everyone in attendance covered their ears at the screeching sound that erupted from it.

With the open door came a whole new set of fears as the group peered into the hallway that lay on the other side. It was very unwelcoming to say the least with its dingy walls, black carpet and dimly light halls that seemed to reveal dark shadow trails left by the grim reaper himself. The outside passageway was also cold, dusty and held cobwebs from years of being unoccupied. The dust was so thick that it was visible and could easily be seen as it drifted into their current space. This place definitely resembled the shit nightmares were made of.

"This can not be happening" whispered Haley as each person in the room continued to stare into the abyss of horror that awaited them on the other side of the archway. But they had to admit that it was better out there then it was in there given their current accommodations.

"This is absolutely insane" Keith continued where his niece in law left off. How the hell did this person find this place and better yet how the hell did he or she get them all there?

"I don't think I can do this"

"We don't have a choice Deb. If we don't Lucas dies and I'm sure you don't want that on your conscious"

"You're one to talk Dan. You don't even know the meaning of the word"

"Ok can we not do this now? My son is trapped in some torture chamber and if we don't hold up our part of the deal then some nut job is going to burn him alive with acid none the less and you two have the time to stand around and argue" yelled Karen. The situation was difficult enough as it was she didn't need to listen to Dan and Deb go out each other when there were more important and pressing matters to attend to like saving her son's life not to mention their own. Turning to the pile of decayed human remains the woman continued "Please just tell us what we have to do"

"_Very well. The corridor before you has exactly four rooms as do the others on the two floors above you. On each one of the doors you will find one of your pictures along with the name of the task that awaits you behind that door. Once you are inside I will give you all the information that you need to complete your assignment. But you must pay attention and act quickly boys and girls other wise you will fail your task or run out of time and with that failure comes death"_

Their hearts were pounding fast and lumps where forming in their throats as the man's cruel laughter echoed loudly through out the background. Each one no doubt wondering what an unjust hand fate was going to deal upon them as their minds raced to the erratic beating of their own hearts. Suddenly every person in the room seemed ten years older and held their own shade of pale as the harsh reality of their situation came crushing down on them like rough waves against hard rocks, stunning them to silence once again.

They all looked around the room wondering who was going to take the lead and be the first one to step over the threshold and into death's awaiting arms.

A few moments had passed and the only sounds to be heard were those of deep breathing and soft whimpering. Someone had to step up, of this they were sure but yet no one dared to move for fear of doing so would set the ball in motion and leave a trail of bodies in its wake.

Nathan knew this. He knew that the second they all stepped onto the dark path that it was going to end badly, but what could they do? He couldn't just sit there and let some demented, twisted soul kill his brother and eventually his wife, his mother, his friends, his uncle and himself. No, they had to fight for their survival and if it meant entertaining the evil bastard and playing his games then that's what they would have to do. He was also aware of the fact that none of them were going to move unless he took the first step.

His first attempt however failed. He tried to move his feet but they just wouldn't comply. The boy inwardly cursed himself for being so weak and scared. He hated it when anyone had this type of control over his emotions and what made him feel worse was the fact that he felt as if he were letting everyone else down. They were all too lost in grief and anger and frozen with fear to move on their own so he needed to be stronger for them all, especially Haley, Karen and Brooke.

He breathed deeply again and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to erase all of the anxiety and fear from his mind. He then readying himself and started making his way over to the door as his young wife held on tightly to his hand followed closely behind him. Once she started moving Jake, Peyton and Brooke too found themselves following his lead, shaking and crying along the way, knowing that some of the people they loved were going to die tonight.

The next one to follow was Keith. Behind the blond male stood Deb as she caught up to him quickly, seizing hold of his hand with her cold trembling one. Next to them were Skills and Bevin who clinging on to one another for dear life afraid of letting go. The last people in the room were Karen and Dan who stood with their backs to the group, staring at their son who hung helplessly from the cold chains still unaware of his troubling situation. The two parents gave each other a knowing, pain filled glance that only two people experiencing the exact same emotions could give one another before walking ever so slowly over to the rest of the group, looking back ever so often at the child they were leaving behind and jumped slightly as the door slammed and locked shut behind them.

"Ok, here goes" Nathan said turning to the first door where a picture of his mother was pinned up and under it were words painted in red.

Playing With Fire.

"Mom" the boy spoke with a quivering voice.

The woman looked up and walked over to the door and read the title of her challenge. The second her eyes rested upon the words the blood all but drained from her face as tear fell from her eyes. Taking a deep breath and releasing a heavy sigh the woman opened the door.

"_Hello Debra" the voice instantly greeted her._

Looking around she saw what looked like a large safe with a floor that reminded her of a barbeque grill pit.She looked back to her friends and family before turning her attention to the contraption in front of her and the mad man who was giving her instructions.

"_I can see the mystified expression on your face but don't worry, all will become clear very soon. You see Mrs. Scott I have it on good authority that you like to play with fire. I may be aware of your love for the flames but do they know? Do your family and friends know that you tried to kill one of them by such methods?"_

No one had to even think about what was being said. In that moment it became obvious that the blond woman was the one who had set the dealership on fire that had left Dan wounded and his business in ruins.

"You bitch. You're the one who tried to kill me" said Dan in an eerily calm voice that had those who knew him well seeking shelter from his wrath.

"You didn't leave me any choice Dan. You made my life miserable for sixteen years and you bullied and torture our son since the day he was born about some damn game that you had chosen to walk away from. You were punishing him for a decision that you made so don't stand here Dan and try to play the innocent party when you are anything but"

Everyone looked between the two unable to speak. This night just kept getting worse and worse.

"_Sorry to interrupt but time is ticking and if you want to save the boy or yourselves I suggest that you save the fighting for later and listen to what I have to say now" commanded their captor. "Inside that vault you will find four sets of numbers on the walls. Once you step inside the door will lock behind you and one of these sets of numbers will be the combination you need to unlock the door. If you are successful you will earn one key. If not then flames will shoot up from the ground and deal upon you the very same fate you had in store for your ex"_

"Ok. Mom it's easy enough you can do this. The combination is on the wall all you have to do is try each one and you will make it out of this ok" said Nathan as he watched the woman take unsteady steps towards the safe.

When she reached the door the woman looked back to her son and said "I love you Nathan and no matter what happens next I always will"

"Mrs. Scott it's going to be ok. Just focus on the numbers" yelled Haley. This didn't seem too bad at all. The timer read two minutes so it was definitely enough time to try them all.

"Yeah Deb you'll be fine. Just stay clam" replied Karen.

The woman smiled in her friend's direction and with the nod of her head stepped inside the chamber.

The clicking sound filled the air as the door locked shut behind her.

"Come on Mom, you can do this" chanted Nathan as he and the rest of the group watched as the woman tried the first combination with more then enough time left.

"Ok that wasn't it now try the next one" said Skills as they watched her enter the next set of numbers as time dwindled down.

"You're doing great Deb, now try the third one" Keith spoke as the woman pushed in the next set of numbers.

This one, like the others before it would fail.

Now faced with the last number and fifty-one seconds left Deb was confident that she was going to make it out so was everyone around her. But their smiles instantly faded as the last set of numbers failed.

Panic formed on the woman's face as panted heavily and tired some of the numbers again.

"What the fuck is going on?" shouted Nathan as he found himself worried for his mother's safety. "You said that the combination was on the wall you son of a bitch!"

"_I did. But I never said that they were in order" the man snickered._

Suddenly Nathan felt his stomach turn sour as he, his father, his friends and his uncle rushed into the room and tried to kick open the window to the vault that if opened would be large enough for the woman to crawl out of.

"_Sorry boys but I didn't allow any room for cheating in this game so now Mrs. Scott will know what it's like to feel the burn"_

"You psychotic fuck!" yelled Nathan as tears streamed down his face as he held up his hand to the clear wall as his mother did the same, just as the clock reached zero. "MOOOM!"

Deb fought as hard as she could not to cry out and cause her son any more pain then he was already feeling but it was no use. The flames came fast and hurt like hell, leaving her no choice but to scream as the red streaks of death surrounded her, burning her flesh down to it's bone starting at her legs and moving up towards her torso.

Darkness was calling out to her and for once in her life she couldn't be happier because once it came, the pain would cease to be and her agony would come to an end. Even as her son's cries for her became muffled the woman could still feel the flames devouring her but yet, on some parts she felt numb and soon after her life would come to an end as those she once loved cried out in outrage and horror.

Nathan fought hard against his father as the man turned his son away from the gruesome sight of his mother's melting face and burnt hand that was stuck like glue to the window where he once held his. He was now sitting on the floor being rocked back and forth like a small child as friends and family wept in the background.

The only other sound that could be heard was a mincing voice saying _"Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock who's next on the chopping block?"_

The voice was followed by sadistic laughter just as a key labeled **door one** fell to the floor with heavy a _cling_.


	3. Got Teeth, Will Play

**Chapter Two: Got Teeth, Will Play**

The aroma of burning flesh and hair filled the atmosphere causing those in attendance to gasp for clean air. It was a thick and heavy scent that none of them could escape and the fact that they could still hear the crackling of the flames devouring her body did nothing to ease their unsettled stomachs. But as time passed and no sign of unpolluted air was bring into being those very same people found themselves trying desperately not to gag or faint from the trauma of what they had just been made witness to. A woman that they all knew and loved had just been burned alive and although they did observe this malicious act of violence there was a part of their minds and souls that slept and found bliss in its self made ignorance.

This small part of themselves was made to feel numb and held no pictures of the event that had just occurred nor did it take notice of its grisly surroundings. There, in this fantasy world they were all in their favorite hang out spots, sitting together laughing and talking, simply enjoying one another's company as they had on so many days and nights before. It was a sense of utopia in a way. Everything was perfect and nothing seemed a mist or tainted. It was their world and their lives just as they had always lived them. It was a nice little flight of the imagination they were allowing themselves to partake in but a loud shrill cry rang out in the background bringing them back to reality. Back to the cold, cruel and unforgiving real world. The one where evil, sadistic men could kidnap them and those they loved just to torture them and force them into situations with impossible odds just for the hell of it.

The source of the voice was of course Nathan Scott. The poor boy that had just watched his mother burn alive and had no choice but to listen to her agonizing screams as she pleaded with death to come forth and claim her soul.

At the moment his heart was breaking in two and it was becoming increasingly harder for him to breathe as each intake of air seemed to become lodged in his throat, determined not to go any further. His wife, Haley stood off to the side willing her feet to move forward and comfort the man she loved but yet she couldn't.

As much as she wanted to the young woman just couldn't muster the courage to step into that room where only moments ago she had encouraged her husband's mother to enter the chamber of death while giving her directions on how to stay alive.

She considered herself a smart girl on most days but today she was faced with the harsh reality that even the smartest people can make the most stupid mistakes. This monster that she and her friends found themselves at the mercy of was twisted and brutal beyond even her comprehension and with this knowledge being so blatantly obvious she should have known that this was just some sort of trick and that his little challenge was nothing like what it had appeared to be but yet she had encouraged the woman to forge ahead. She now felt guilty as hell and didn't feel worthy of supporting and comforting her spouse because she was partially to blame for the pain he was experiencing.

"Mom"

It came out as a whisper but they all heard it, especially her but that didn't change the fact that she had no right to sit beside him or feel his flesh beneath her finger tips.

"Ha…Haley" he now said looking in the girls direction with reddened eyes and a hoarse tone. He was pleading with her, begging for her to come to him, to be his wife and sustain him, to give him strength as all hope seemed lost.

With his eyes boring into hers she could no longer resist or deny him. Slowly and shakily the girl moved to the boy's side, removing him from his father's arms and embracing him in her own. She tried her best to focus on him but she couldn't.

There was now hysterical crying coming from everyone in the background as she heard the sound of someone vomiting, finally losing control of themselves, something she was fighting so hard not to do. This whole situation was really screwed up and she found herself becoming more and more angry and frightened, knowing that someone else was going to die soon. She just hoped with all her heart and soul that it wasn't going to be Nathan.

"We have to keep moving" a small voice called out to the group as Peyton and Jake steadied a weak Brooke. Everyone looked at the person who spoke shocked by their insensitive outburst.

"You can't be serious Karen. Deb just died and if we continue playing this psychopathic killer's game then we'll be next"

"I understand that Keith but I can't just stop either. Don't get me wrong I am sorry that Deb is gone. She was my friend and business partner so trust me I am feeling this more then any of you know but I can not let my son die. I won't"

"Who's to say that wasn't his plan all along?" Peyton spoke up angry and surprised by the woman's outburst. "How do we know that he's not sitting back watching us kill ourselves one by one and when all's said and done he won't just kill Lucas for the hell of it? I mean he already said that if we fail Lucas dies anyway so…"

"So what Peyton? So you all are just willing to bet my son's life on what ifs? Please tell me that's not what you're saying"

"I hate to say it Karen but she may be right" replied Jake as he laid a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder before she roughly brushed it away.

"No, she isn't and I can not believe that you would agree with her" the woman screamed in a fit of rage.

"Listen Ms. Roe I know this is hurting you and trust me we'll be sad if Luke dies but…"

"But what Skills?"

The boy took a deep breath before continuing, doing his best to say just the right thing. "But we can't go through with this. I'm sorry but it doesn't make sense for all of keep playing these games and killing ourselves if he gonna kill Luke anyway"

"_Wow. With friends like you who needs enemies?" the voice returned with dark laughter._

"We're done playing your game! You hear me, we're done"

"_Really? Well then I guess I have no choice but to kill the little golden boy but don't worry. Just because you're not in the room with him doesn't mean that you don't get to watch"_

Suddenly a small TV pushed forward from a hidden door in the wall peaking the curiosity of each one of the remaining captives. On the screen was a live shot of the boy in question who was now very much awake and seemed to be looking around the room with eyes that were wide and frozen open with horror.

"_SOMEBODY HELP ME!" he shouted at the top of his lungs._

"Luke?" questioned Nathan as the sound of his brother's voice brought him out of his trance.

"There on the screen" replied Haley as they both got to their feet and walked over to join the rest of the group.

In front of spectators Karen stood holding her hand up to the screen and caressing the picture of her son's face just as she would if he had been standing in front of her. Warm drops of water streamed down her face as her eyes revealed how helpless and scared she felt in that moment. Her baby was at the mercy of some lunatic and she couldn't do a damn thing to stop what was about to happen to him. She silently cursed those around her and wanted nothing more than to lash out at each and every one of them for turning their backs on Lucas. But all she had the strength to do was stand by powerlessly and look into his terror filled eyes and panicked gaze. He was scared. More so then she had ever seen him in his life and the thought brought about sharp pains in her chest and she would have collapsed if it had not been for the stronger arms that supported her.

Behind her stood Dan, as he too watched his son's fearful eyes grow wider as the sound of his voice echoed louder and louder as he surveyed the room around him and everything therein. It must have been like opening his eyes from a deep slumber to find out that he was trapped inside of some nightmare with no way out. He suddenly found himself regretting not being a major part of his son's life. He felt the hole in his heart grow larger as he wondered what it would have been like to hold the boy in his arms as he awoke from a nightmare. Calming him, being his protector and shooing the big hairy monsters away. Oh how he wished he could do this for his son right now. Find the source of his fear and kill him for hurting his son and killing the mother of his younger sibling. But he couldn't. For the first time in his life Dan Scott wasn't the one in control and couldn't rush in to save the day and play hero the one time his son so desperately needed him.

"Lucas" a dark haired form said as she roughly pushed him aside and starred at the theatrics before her. Her eye lids were heavily weighed down by soaked lashes as her mind raced, filling with images that were surely going to haunt her for the rest of her days, if she survived. Pictures of Deb slowly walking to her death, the sound of her screams, the look on her face as the skin that protected her features melted away. She was scare of what events now lay before her. She found her self wondering what this demon from hell was going to do next. And more importantly why did he have to do it to Lucas?

"_I hate to see that it has come to this" the voice returned with a slightly saddened tone. "All I wanted to do was help you all learn valuable lessons and teach you about what life should be about. To help you let go of all your guilt, self loathing, envy, greed and obsessions. But now, sadly I have to punish dear sweet Lucas or as I like to call him, a modern day Christ, for all of your sins. So loving and generous, always willing to forgive your acts of betrayal and cruel words, he really is a good kid" the man sighed "Hey Nathan I know you're still grieving over the lost of your mother and all but I would like you to share in some of the memories of your soon to be dearly departed brother with me." He said gaining the boy's full attention. "Remember the time you, Peyton and Lucas had to describe each other using only one word?" the man questioned as he snickered almost as if he were recalling a childhood memory with old friends._

"_You called him a bastard, remember that Nathan?"_

"Shut up!" the boy yelled feeling guilt wash over him at his earlier treatment of his brother.

"_Oh I have an even better one" the raspy voice continued "Remember that night when you and your bastard brother attended the same party. Of course we both know why he was invited, don't we Nate? You wanted him there so you could humiliate him. What was the name of that delightful little game you played? Oh yeah, I never. Yes and what was it that you said? Oh the words are right on the tip of my tongue…" the man trailed off as a wave of nausea came over the younger Scott. He knew where this was going and he didn't like it one bit. _

"_Oh right" the man laughed. "I never, and these are your exact words, I never had a father who wished that I were just a stain on the bed sheets. Oh that was exceptional"_

Nathan said nothing in response to his abductor, but instead held is head low and averted his eyes so that he wouldn't have to meet Karen's horrified gaze, Haley's look of disappointment or his father's heated stare of anger. He knew what he had said was wrong but at the time it felt right. He was angry with Lucas back then. He hated the fact that his brother existed and held a strong hold on their father's heart even though the elder Scott would never admit it but he didn't feel that way now and although he and Luke had long since made up that one moment in time will always be the one thing that he wished with all his might he could take back.

"Nathan. Oh my God. Was that why Luke was so angry?" questioned Haley now fully understanding why her best friend had been so distraught that night.

"_And the fun didn't stop there did it Nathan? I know you retain the information of what happened next. Does a certain video tape ring any bells for you my dear boy? You know the one of Karen and Dan at their formal?"_

"Nathan you didn't" said Dan in a state of disbelief. He didn't even know his son knew the tape existed, let alone know where to find it.

"_He didn't do what Dan, exactly what you taught him to? It's a shame really. But I'm afraid that the time for talking is over and now you will all have to watch the next great picture show. It's title: Got Teeth?"_

The instant that the invisible man finished his words silence rang out again forcing them to turn their attention back to the boy behind the clear walls. A figure wearing a clown mask and dressed in all black entered the room. Everyone watched closely trying to catch even the slightest glimpse of his face, something, anything that could give away this monsters true identity. Unfortunately they found none. Instead they had to watch as the man danced around the boy who was watching him just as intently as they were.

"_Who are you? What am I doing here?" he questioned as the man playfully shrugged before opening the cage._

"What's he doing?" a frantic Brooke asked to no one in particular.

"I don't know" replied Keith as he too watched the man as he pulled something from underneath his black cloak.

He held his hand up to the camera and showed them just what he had in them. It was a pair of pliers. Then he pulled out something else. It was some sort of metal piece. He then continued by prying open the boy's mouth and pulling back his lips, giving the man full access to the boy's teeth.

"Oh please don't" cried Karen, already knowing full well what the monster intended to do with his weapon.

"_Welcome to the second lesson of the day boys and girls. Today we will be taking a crash course in the art of reconstructive dentistry. Here we have our second patient of the day Mr. Lucas Scott. He is normally a very polite little boy and on most occasions he would give you a smile and greet you with warm words but today he's going to be helping me out so forgive him for the lack of manners."_

"_This special demonstration will show you what will happen if you eat too much candy and do not brush your teeth at least twice a day. Besides we all know just how ugly those little pearly whites can become if you don't practice proper dental hygiene. Here in my hands I hold the answer to your questions. Let's start with the two front teeth, you know the ones that always come out first when you lose your baby teeth" the man spoke as he advanced on a petrified Lucas. The man cocked his head to one side as he positioned the cold steal just right. Then in one swift motion the man pulled back with all his might, snatching the tooth from its place and pulling out part of its root with it._

They saw it all. All the blood as it came rushing out of the boy's mouth and spattered all over the man standing in front of him. They heard his cries of excruciating pain as his body buckled wildly as unprotected nerve endings met with cold air.

"Ahhhh!" screamed Brooke as she hid her face in Peyton's arms unable to look on any more.

"Oh my God! Nooooo!" cried Karen as she fell to the ground as Dan and Keith stood motionless, with their eyes glued to the screen. Neither could articulate a single word or sound. They were too shocked to do anything more then observe.

Bevin covered her ears and buried her face in her boyfriend's chest as Skills breathed heavily while fear captured and paralyzed his body. He couldn't move, he couldn't hold her, he couldn't turn away all he could do was stare straight ahead into nothingness.

"_Ok it's time to go in again. This time we're going for tooth one's next door neighbor tooth number two" he said while once again repeating his earlier motion. Only this time when he pull the tooth only came partially loose and hung from the boy's mouth by three nerves. "I hate it when that happens" the man proclaimed before pulling out a pair of scissors. He proceeded to free the hanging bone fragment by cutting each nerve one by one._

"STOP IT!" yelled Peyton as she sunk down to the floor with a hysterical Brooke in her arms.

"God please make him stop, please" added Haley as she tightened her grip on her husband's hand.

In the back ground you could hear Lucas scream as a river of blood oozed down his chest and formed a puddle at his feet. He was shaking violently now and his lips were a mixture of purple and red.

"We'll play" a voice said quietly almost as if he were in a daze. "Just stop, please just stop" Nathan said a little louder. "Please just leave my brother alone"

"_See all you had to do was ask nicely" the man said towards the camera before turning back to Lucas and hitting him hard over the head. "I think he would much rather prefer being unconscious then to remaining awake. Don't you agree? Now get back to the game ladies and gents, time is running out" _

The screen no longer held any images and as the voice commanded the group collected themselves as best they could before re-entering the dark, damp hallway. Directly across the hall was a door that held the number two and the title HEAD SHOT.

The picture on the door was none Other than Nathan Scott's.


	4. Nathan Scott: Head Shot

**Chapter Three: Nathan Scott**

His stomach turned and his palms grew sweaty as he stared at the door in front of him that displayed his name and the title of his challenge.

_Head Shot _he read with a heavy sigh.

On any other day these two simple words wouldn't instill any fear what so ever in his heart but today wasn't like any other day. Today he was trapped in hell with his wife, their friends and what was left of his family. He looked around at the faces surrounding him as none in attendance uttered a single word. Instead they just looked at him with fear and sorrow in their eyes, wondering what their unfriendly host had in store for the youngest Scott. Nathan returned their gaze with the same amount of trepidation before refocusing on the door in front of him. He was about to turn the knob to enter when he felt someone take hold of his hand.

"Nathan" she spoke in a somber tone. Although she had only said one word her voice revealed exactly what her mouth wouldn't allow her to fully disclose.

He knew she loved him and that she didn't want him to go in there and face whatever horrors lay behind the red door but she was also aware that if he didn't her best friend was going to die. She wore a look of pure torment and worry. It broke his heart to see the pain in her eyes but he had to go through with it, no matter how much it hurt.

Leaning down he gave the young woman a kiss on the head and whispered "I love you" in her ear as he pulled her into his arms. They held their position for a few seconds as he ran his fingers through her hair and held her close. He breathed in heavily and took in all of her scent almost as if trying to remember it just in case it was the last time he would ever smell it.

The aroma was one of cucumbers and melons. He had just purchased the body spray, bath gel and lotion for her on her birthday a few short weeks ago telling the young woman that the fragrance reminded him of her, light and sweet. She smiled widely and told him that he was the best husband ever and that her world just wouldn't be the same without him. That it would be darker.

She had no idea what darkness would truly lay ahead of them that night, none of them did.

He forced himself to step away from the girl and once again moved towards the door. He opened it ever so slowly and the instant he took a step in the room his body tensed up as he took a good look at his surroundings.

Directly in front of him was a basketball hoop with large black letters painted above it that warned "pay close attention and watch those knees"

A few feet away was someone he knew very well, laying flat on their back on top of an operating table. A horrified Tim was struggling hard against his restraints as the group followed Nathan into the room.

"Oh my God Tim" yelled Nathan as he stepped closer to where his friend lay. He was standing directly over him when he heard a loud clink coming from the ground beneath him before he felt something tightly seize hold of his legs.

"Nathan!" screamed Dan as the father tired to move to his son's side but a thick layer of glass dropped from the ceiling with a heavy thud, preventing him from reaching his target.

"NOOO" a frantic Haley called out as she banged on the glass that was blocked her path to her husband.

Nathan wanted to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay but he couldn't. His heart was beating a mile a minute as he listened to the cries of all those around him. Out of the blue a nagging feeling entered his mind as something told him to look down. In doing so he was able to see that there was a rusted metal saw at his feet. He instantly bent over and began moving the object back and forth over the metal contraption that was holding him firmly in place as panic set in.

It was at this time the voice that they had all been dreading to hear returned and the room immediately grew silent.

"_Well, well, well it looks like our favorite bad ass is actually scared. Sorry Natey-Nate but your current actions aren't going to help you. In fact it's going to hinder you from completing your task, for which you are going to have to put that same said instrument to use so it would be in your best interest to stop what you're doing and listen to me"_

At this the boy stopped all movement and returned to a full standing position while panting heavily as his body trembled.

"I'm listening" he replied nervously gripping the object.

"_Good boy Nate, now it's time for your lesson to begin. You are a very cocky and hateful young man Mr. Scott. You revel in the glory of having control over others and you give off an attitude of superiority that you use to belittle those around you. I guess that saying like father like son is true but in the end you are responsible for your own actions. You may have changed slightly over the past year and a half but we both know the old Nathan still exist and let's be honest, deep down you'll always be like dear old dad and hold on to that God like complex for all you're worth. You feel the world should bow down to you and cater to whatever you want. You treat those in your life well until they do something you don't approve of and then you shut them out and go back to being the same selfish little bastard you've always been. I guess old habits die hard" _

"_Let's take your brother for example. Lucas forgave you for all the terrible things you did to him by allowing himself to cater to you until you felt he was worthy enough to be called your brother. He would do whatever it took to please you even if that meant apologizing to you for retaliating in some way or form because of your latest assault of the week or the disgusting behavior you display but never once did you apologize to him for your cruelty. Never once did you tell him that you were sorry for treating him like dirt or using your brain dead sidekicks to torture him. No instead you thought that being able to hang around you was good enough of an apology, a reward if you will. Boy what an arrogant, self righteous piece of work you are"_

"You're unbelievable you know that? First of all you don't know anything about my relationship with my brother and secondly how dare you sit here and judge me or any of us for our actions when you're the one holding hostage and forcing us to play your sick games as some sort of punishment for our so called crimes. You say that I'm arrogant and self righteous but what about you? How the hell are you any better?" he yelled not only out of anger and frustration but because he knew that every word this faceless person spoke was true.

"_Hey I'm not here to argue with you my dear boy I am simply here to state the facts and give you a healthy dose of truth. And like they say sometimes the truth hurts more then we like to admit"_

_Off of everyone's silence the man continued "Now back to the mission at hand. There is one person in the mist of your little world that has always done exactly what you wanted him to. One person who will take abuse from you and never once dare to speak up in his own defense. This person is your own personal lackey. Can you guess who this person is young Mr. Scott.? That's right your beloved Tim hound. He's been loyal till the very end so I thought it would be only fitting if it were his own master who put him to sleep"_

"What are you talking about?" questioned Peyton.

"_Oh come now Miss. Sawyer, you are one of the smarter people in the crowd. You figure it out and with a title like head shots I'm surprised that it's not painfully obvious by now. But that's ok, we all have our blond moments"_

"Oh no. You can't be serious. Please, you can't do this to him. Isn't it enough that you kill his mother but now you want him murder his best friend"

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" begged Haley with her eyes still focused on her husband. This whole exchange had been painful to hear and to watch and she was growing more and more anxious by the moment.

"_Since you've been a good girl so far Mrs. Scott I will be more then happy to answer your question. You see your husband will have to cut off the head of his best friend and make a perfect three point shot other wise the lovely device that he finds himself trapped in will break his knee caps before the bottom half of his legs are served from his body. But he must be careful because the obvious isn't always so… apparent. Sometimes you need to search for something more"_

Nathan froze as the room started to spin out of control. He couldn't move or say anything all he could see was Tim's wide eyes and his face holding a look of terror.

"You're not going to do it right Nate? Tell that sick freak that you are not going to do it" the boy yelled as he stared up at his friend whose gaze held no emotion or any indications of what he intended to do about the situation at hand.

"_Good luck Mr. Scott and let the game begin" the man giggled in delight as his laughter echoed through out the house._

Suddenly the sound of a ticking clock brought everyone out of their trance as they all watched the boy standing there with the cold metal in hands, staring down at the person he had been best friends with since kindergarten.

Images of their childhood together flashed before his eyes as he closed his eyes and tears streamed down his face. Within seconds those images changed to those of he and his brother followed by pictures of himself with Haley. He had to hurry up and choose.

Haley and Lucas or Tim.

His wife and his brother or his best friend.

"Come on Nathan hurry. You have to do it or you'll die son. I know it's hard but you have to do what's necessary. You have to save yourself and Lucas" said Dan in a sympathetic voice.

"Nate" said Tim in a pleading tone as he looked up at his best friend "Please don't do this"

Those words tore him apart but he didn't have any time left to dwell on it. He was down to only two minutes and now it was a race against the clock. He closed his eyes and gripping the saw he placed it over the boy's throat.

"I'm so sorry man" he said before moving it back and forth as blood splattered all over his face, arms and clothing. He could feel the warm substance dripping from his body as the screams of his friend became gargled as he began to choke on his own blood.

Blocking out all of the screams coming from his family and friends the boy allowed himself to open his eyes and take in the full sight of what he had just done. Tim was thrashing around wildly as his eyes began to roll up in his head. The flesh around his throat was now torn and mangled with pieces laying all over the boy's chest and his own clothing and body. Nathan wanted to vomit but choked it back and with screams of his own he began sawing faster and faster as his friends body became limp and he started to work on the thick bone with time steadily dwindling down.

Although he knew time was of the essences he couldn't bring himself to look at the clock for fear that the slightest bit of hesitation on his part would spell the end of his life. He had to continue to work quickly no matter how much his own actions sickened him. He would just have to pray for absolution later but for now he had to save himself and make sure he stayed alive for his wife and to rescue his brother.

But suddenly the saw fell apart much to his dismay as he looked back to his wife who once again found herself pounding on the glass, trying desperately to get to her husband.

"Nathan. No!" his father yelled as he and Keith searched the glass for some secrete compartment that would aid them in getting to the youngest member of their family. But their efforts would too be in vein and it was at that point that Nathan took matters into his own hands.

"My God forgive me" he said out loud before taking his friends partially severed head and began twisting it in all kinds of directions with extreme force trying to pry it from its larger attachment.

"Come on!" he shouted while pulling and twisting the half broken bone as the timer clocked down to one minute.

He pulled harder.

Tugged faster.

Twisted vigorously as time wound down.

He could hear yelling in the back ground. People were screaming, telling him that his time was running out and that he had to work faster.

He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when Tim's head finally disconnected from his body and he held it up, about to throw it into the basket that awaited it when he noticed something off about the rim.

It was small, way too small for anything but a small child's ball to fit through. He began to panic as he was now down to nothing more then thirty seconds. That's when his captor's earlier words came back to haunt him.

"_But he must be careful because the obvious isn't always so… apparent. Sometimes you need to search for something more"_

He now found himself eyeing every part of the room as the clock now read twenty seconds. He looked around turning and twisting his head in all directions, looking for something, anything that seemed out of place or had something odd attached to it. Suddenly a waste basket with a metal piece sticking out of it caught his attention as the clock read five seconds.

Nathan looked at it then at his friend's body and the head placed firmly in his hands as blood poured from his fingers, sticking them to Tim's blood soaked hair. He then began to feel dizzy and now there were three baskets instead of one.

With three seconds left on the clock and his eye sight growing darker Nathan took a deep breath, held Tim's head high in the air and sent it flying through the air and over to the basket just as the buzzer sounded…


	5. Revelations

**Chapter Four: Revelations**

Scraps of metal collided with one another before crumbling to the ground below. The noise that radiated from these motions was so loud that it was almost deafening, forcing all in attendance to shuddered and cover their ears. When the untainted air of silence returned they released the breaths that they had been holding as they watched a very alive Nathan hit the floor, hard. His breathing was heavy and his eyes were still closed but once he was settled on the ground they shot opened and darted around the room, shocked and somewhat confused.

"Nathan" said Haley as she rushed to his side followed by his father and uncle.

"You okay Nate?"

Keith knew that it was a stupid question to ask but it was all he could think of saying at that moment.

"Come on son, say something" added Dan as he studied the boy's face. It was easy to see that he was in shock, as they all were but the fact that he wasn't saying a word frightened him. He wasn't even crying. He was just anesthetized.

Nathan heard them all loud and clear but couldn't bring himself to speak. Instead he just stared at everyone around him as he tried to wrap his mind around what he had just been forced to do. He knew he should have been upset by his actions, angry with himself for being so selfish as to put his own life above his best friend's but he wasn't. Not now anyway. He couldn't focus on his actions no matter how wrong they were because if he did he wouldn't have the strength to make it out of this place alive. This man was sick and the only way to beat him at his own game was to be as malicious as he was. To allow himself to go to a dark place where fear of consequences didn't exist. In fact it was what they all had to do if they were going to make it out in one piece.

No matter how screwed up it was.

He stood up with a blank expression on his face while the blood and flesh of his deceased best friend slid down his body. His shirt was matted to his skin and his brow was dripping with sweat as he walked towards the door. He could feel their eyes on him. They must have been thinking what a horrible monster he was but he couldn't be dissuaded by this. They had to move on. Time was working against them.

He started to make his way towards to the door as his remaining friends and family stepped out of his way, fearful of his next movements when HE spoke.

"_Nicely played Scott, I always knew you had those killer instincts" he snickered as Nathan cringed._

"Just shut the hell up and give me what I've earned" replied Nathan as he stood with his back to everyone.

"_Very well then, there's a combination hidden under what's left your Tim hound"_

Nathan slowly turned back around and began walking over to where the headless body rested just as a strong hand reached out to stop him.

"It's alright Nate. I'll get man"

Seconds later Skills returned with the red piece of paper that had numbers written on it in black.

The moment that it was in his hand the dark haired boy found himself in the hallway along with Brooke, Peyton and Jake.

"Are you ok Nathan? I know that had to be…"

"Not now Jake" he interrupted "We have to focus on getting out of here and saving Luke before it's too late"

There was coldness to his voice that made them all tremble as they gave each other a knowing glance before turning their attention back to him.

He was staring straight ahead, seemingly lost and brink of madness when a gentle hand grasped his shoulder.

"Hey" her voice was soft and sorrowful.

At first he jumped at the contact but when he dared to lift his eyes and make contact with hers his anxiety subsided. He didn't see the disgust, hate or fear that he thought he would, instead he saw only love and concern.

"I'm not angry with you, if that's what you think"

"Good because I didn't have a choice. I just…" he trailed off unsure of how he wanted to finish his sentence and slightly sickened by his own words.

There's always a choice when it comes to killing someone. He could have easily sacrificed himself to save his friend but he didn't. The only real answer, the only honest answer was that he wasn't willing too.

God what had he allowed himself to be turned into?

He had to shake these thoughts from his head and forge ahead. There was so much more at stake here then his soul or conscious.

"We have to keep going" was all he could say.

"Son listen to me…"

"Dad I can't ok. You said it yourself we have to save Lucas so we all have to do what's necessary to make that happen. Tim would have understood that if knew the how bad the situation was or what that bastard already did to him" Nathan didn't even believe his own words but he had to keep telling himself this in order to go on, other wise he was going to fall apart.

"That's bullshit"

Everyone turned around to look into Peyton's tear filled eyes.

They were full of everything Nathan didn't want to see, disgust, fear and anger. In that instant he wanted to turn away from her but he knew that in doing so he would be admitting that she was right and he would have to reflect on what he had just done and that was something he couldn't allow to happen. He had to remain in control, he couldn't lose it. Not now, not until they were out of this hell hole.

"Peyton…" warned Haley before getting cut off.

"What Haley? You can't expect me to just sit here and go on like this didn't happen. Nathan just killed someone who happened to be a good friend no matter how much of an idiot he was. He didn't deserve what happened to him and I cannot believe that you're condoning this!"

"That's not fair and you know it Peyton. Do you think Nathan wanted to do this? What did you think he woke up this morning and said hey I think I'm going to kill one of my best friends today because I can honestly say that he didn't. He didn't ask for this, none of us did"

"But that doesn't make it right Haley. Did you ever once consider Tim's family? What their life is going to be like when they realize that their son is never coming home again? What kind of pain their going to go through?"

"What about the pain my family going's to go through if we lose Lucas? Did you ever stop to think about that?" questioned Dan having enough of the girl's sanctimonious ranting. "Did you consider the pain Karen and I would go through? Or how about Keith who was like a father to him? And if you don't give a damn about us then at least consider what it would do to Nathan? How do you think he would feel if he lost his brother? Having to watch Lucas being tortured to death by some homicidal maniac Peyton, how the hell do you think he'd feel about that?"

The girl stiffened her upper lip as she felt the brunt force of the man's words. She wanted to argue with him but she knew he was right. Why was Tim's family more important then Lucas's but then again right was right and wrong was wrong, no matter how you slice it.

"Wait a minute" continued Dan "I know what this is about" he said with a smirk "You're jealous"

"Excuse me?" questioned Peyton as the rest of the group remained quite.

"The reason why you're so outraged about Tim's death has nothing to do with the act itself. You just don't want us to save Lucas because he chose Brooke over you. Yeah, that's it, you're just a bitter, hateful little girl who didn't get her way and now you're trying to punish my son because of it"

"You're out of your mind you know that? Only someone as evil as yourself would believe that jealousy is reason enough to want someone dead. Well newsflash Mr. Scott that's not how I treat the people that I love no matter much they've hurt me. I wouldn't want to watch them die because I didn't get what I want, that's your way of doing things not mine"

Suddenly Brooke jerked her head up and stepped back from her friend in shock as everyone else stared at the blond girl. Peyton obviously not catching on to her own mistake just looked back at them in confusion as Jake turned away from her and leaned up against the wall.

"Is it true? Do you still have feelings for Lucas?" the dark haired girl spoke as she looked into the eyes of her best friend.

"Brooke I…"

"Just answer the question Peyton"

The girl closed her eyes tightly and cried in reaction to her friend's question. In fact it was the only response she could muster at the moment. Luckily enough for her, her eyes were closed other wise she would have seen Dan's evil smirk of satisfaction and it would have only upset her more.

"Oh my God" sighed Brooke "This can not be happening, not again. Damn it Peyton I trusted you!"

"I'm sorry. I never wanted you to find out this way Brooke. But you have to know that this isn't something I wanted okay. I tried to let it go, I tried to ignore that feeling in the pit of my stomach whenever I saw him but…"

"But what?"

"But I couldn't okay. Seeing you together killed me but I swear to you Brooke I haven't made a play for him and I don't intend to"

"No you just intend to watch him die instead. I guess if you can't have him then nobody will uh?"

"No, it's not like that"

"Then what Peyton because as much as I hate to admit it what Dan said is making a hell of a lot of sense to me"

"I was just scared okay. Excuse me if seeing my friend get murdered by my ex-boyfriend in some mad man's sick idea of a game upset me"

Brooke laughed at this.

"You better watch out tutor wife, next thing you know she'll be after Nathan because we all know Peyton just can't help but fall in love with those Scott boys"

"Ok that's enough!"

Nathan had finally had enough of this drama and could kick his father's ass for bringing it up. They needed to move on to the next challenge not stand her and listen to Peyton and Brooke play the newest round of who loves Lucas more.

"We don't have time for this nonsense! We have to keep moving"

"Nathan's right" replied Karen as she took hold of Brooke's hand and pulled her away from Peyton. "We need to save Lucas. We'll deal with these other issues" she said giving Peyton a dirty look "later, when we're all safe"

The girls said nothing but continued to stare holes into one another as they were pulled in opposite directions.

The next door they found themselves standing in front of had a picture of Skills on it and above was the title The Grind.

"I guess I'm next"

"Be strong man" said Nathan as he stepped aside and allowed Skills to walk by.

"Be careful baby" added Bevin before giving her boyfriend a kiss on the lips.

"Wow if you promise to give me a lot more of that when I'm though, then I will make damn sure to keep my ass alive"

They all smiled a little.

"Done" she replied with a smile as Brooke and Haley gathered her in close.

Skills then took a deep breath and opened the door.

When he did everyone jumped back in horror.

The girls screamed and cried.

Keith threw up.

Dan turned away and forced Nathan to do the same as Skills just stood there motionless as his greatest fear came to life.


	6. Skills: The Grind

**Chapter Five: The Grind**

He could feel the bile bobbing up and down in his throat as his tempter started to rise and his knees grew weak. The ghastly scene before him was like acid to the eyes but yet he couldn't turn away from the grotesque display. It was there, in front of the boy for him and all his friends to lay witness to courtesy of an evil that remained hidden in the shadows.

He leaned heavily upon the door's wooden frame partly to keep himself form falling to the group but mostly to make sure the contents of his stomach remained in its proper place. He drew in a breath and tried to calm himself as his eyes painfully took in every inch of the room and everything that lay therein.

Mangled pieces of body parts were scattered about the room. Heads, feet, intestines, arms, ears, legs, fingers, toes, not to mention some highly sensitive areas.

But these human remains were not without company.

Tangled within the decomposing stew of carcasses were a mass of maggots, roaches and piles among piles of flies. The entire room was blanketed with them.

The walls however were covered in blood as if they had been painted by a group of professional painters. It was obvious that their host had done it himself and if the perfectly coated walls weren't sick enough there was one spot, one small decoration in the center of third wall that made the sight that much more bizarre and terrifying.

It was an eerie looking smiley face with the words _Pieces of You _written below it.

Skills did his best not to show the others behind him what he was truly feeling. He willed himself to stand in the same place for several seconds instead of running like a bat out of hell like he wanted to. His eyes were open wide and all the air in the room seemed to be ridden with partials that were too big for his nostrils to inhale. So there he stood motionless and breathless while the rest of the Tree Hill natives continued to cry, puke and scream.

Then out of nowhere came the return of a voice that they had all come to loathe.

"_I can see by the way you're staring at my work that you have an appreciation for the arts." the voice continued with a snicker "I call this one You've Got That Killer Smile"_

Nathan and Dan looked at each other both sickened by the man's words as Haley ran into her husband's arms and buried her face in his chest.

Meanwhile Jake once again found himself holding Peyton as Brooke and Karen stepped up next to Dan and Keith.

Off the man's words Skills could no longer contain his anger.

"This is low even for you. What kind of monster would chop up other human beings to torture someone? I mean you sit back and claim to be some kind of teacher when you're really nothing but some whacked out sick, malicious son of a ..."

"_Now, now Skills. No need for the harsh language. After all you mother's ears are in the room and could probably hear you. So be a good boy for mommy dearest other wise I may have to pick up her hand and slap you with it"_

"No, no. You're lying!" the boy replied shaking his head.

"Of course he is man. That's how he works. It's all a big game to him" Nathan said finally finding his voice.

"Yeah Skills he's just messing with you and trying to get into your head before your game but you can't let him do it. You can't let him win. Just stay focused man. Don't let him in" said Jake stepping forward with a horrified Peyton in tow.

"Yeah baby. Listen to them and you'll be fine" added Bevin.

The boy in question simply nodded his head in his friend's direction before looking back to the grisly scene. His palms were sweating and his heart was pounding a mile a minute. Then with a shaky voice he called out.

"They're right you know. I'm not going to let you get to me dog. So just tell me what needs to be done so my friends and I can move on and get the hell out of here"

"_Aww. How cute. You have friends who would do anything for you and you for them but it wasn't always this way was it Skills? I can remember one friend of yours who got himself maimed for your entertainment. Does the name Jason Marks ring any bells?"_

Everyone in the room instantly recognized the name and as they looked to Skills they knew that there was more to the story then they had originally read. A lot more.

The young man looked as if he were about to pass out. It seemed as though he was viewing a private picture show with still shots that only he could see. They watched as he closed his eyes and drew in small short breaths.

No one knew what to say except for one person.

"_I can see that your brain cells are all in working order so allow me to put the pieces together for you… Oops" he laughed. "No pun intended ladies and gents. Anyway seeing as how my homeboy is at a loss for words I'll explain. You see poor little Jason was a buddy or rather lap dog of your dear friend here as well as Lucas, Junk and Mouth. Well one day the boys were playing a game of football in Junk's yard and were gracious enough to allow Jason to watch. During the course of the game the ball ended up going into his neighbor's yard and into her large underground fan vent. The ever so wonderful Skills here thought it would be funny to have Jason climb in and get it out. And once Jason was below the blades they would turn it on just to scare him but needless to say his clever little plan didn't workout as well as he had expected it to" _

He could feel their eyes watching him as he spun around to meet their gaze. He saw sadness in some, disgust in others and sympathy in a few more. It was a mistake. A childhood prank gone wrong by a bunch of twelve year olds who didn't know any better. He shouldn't be tortured because of it, hell, he had already spent years feeling guilty for what happened and encountered many sleepless nights because of it and he wasn't about to go down that path again because of them.

Because of him.

"It was an accident that happened when I was a child. I was just…we were just kids" he spoke out to no one in particular.

"_Is that all you have to say for yourself!"_

The unexpected fit of rage boomed throughout the halls causing every single person within hearing distance to jump.

"_You disgust me you vile little piece of scum! But don't worry" their captors voice sudden softened as if he had just frightened a small child and were now trying to console him "I will give you a chance to redeem yourself and cleanse your spirit my dear boy. There is still hope for you. For here in this very room lays the key to your salvation. This is all you need to do. Hidden beyond that closet door is something that resembles a Giant blender. You will step inside and lock the door behind you. When the timer starts ticking you with have sixty seconds to grab the six puzzle pieces below your feet and put them together along side the contraption using the blood of the countless other souls that will be standing in. Do it successfully and you will earn a key that will help set Lucas free. Ha, isn't that cute. I rhymed" the man laughed at his own joke. _

_Too bad the others weren't so amused._

"So what happens if he doesn't make it?" question Keith.

The others were too mentally and emotionally exhausted to speak and even if they could, there was nothing left to say that hadn't already been said.

"_You know Keith I used to like you until you asked such a stupid question. The name of the got damn game it The Grind. So tell me genius what do you think is going to happen?"_

"I'm gonna be sliced and diced ironically enough just like Jason? I'm shocked. For a criminal master mind you sure are predictable"

"_Oh Skills I find your attempt at intelligent speech quite amusing but time is of the essence so I strongly advise you to get a move on. Oh and from one supposed killer to another good luck!"_

After a moment of complete silence Keith spoke up again.

"Hey listen to me son. You can do this. As long as you listen to what Nathan and Jake told you, you'll be fine"

"That's right Skills. Just do what they said and try to put him out of your mind. It was just a prank that went wrong you didn't set out to hurt Jason it just happened. You have to leave the past in the past and concentrate on what you have to do now" Haley said finding the courage to leave Nathan's side.

She and Skills weren't too close but he was still her friend and it was common knowledge that he was tight with Lucas so she was going to do her best to calm him down as much as possible in hopes that he would make it out of there safely.

"You're right. I can do this"

"Of course you can baby. You're going to go in there, kick butt and come back to me. Then when it's all over we're going to walk out of here. Together" replied Bevin as she walked over and gave the boy another kiss on the lips.

They starred at each other for a brief moment before the boy entered the room.

Once inside he made his way through the pile of decay and walked over to the door on the other side. It was painted black and was rather large but before he could open it, it swung open on its own, sending him flying backwards to the mess below. The stench was so strong that it nearly knock him out but he recovered quickly and got back to his feet just as the human blender propelled forward.

It was big enough to fit two people and was shaped exactly like a blender. It had huge white top, big sharp blades and was filled with blood and pieces of mangled flesh. Upon further examination Skills noticed a ring at the bottom of the contraption and instantly recognized it.

It belonged to Mouth.

"Holy shit!" he said jumping back in surprise.

"What? What is it?" questioned Nathan.

"There's a ring in there dog. It belongs to Mouth. It was his grandfather's class ring"

"Oh God no" cried Karen unable to say anything else.

"Listen maybe it's just a duplicate. You know something that psycho made just to scare you Skills man. Don't let him rattle your cage"

"Nathan's got a point man. Just get this over with and we'll check on Mouth later"

Knowing Jake was right the boy continued on opening the door and sticking one foot inside. When he did he grimaced as his foot became submerged in blood and strips of skin swam between his toes. Putting the other foot in and regaining his balance he locked the door.

Moving his foot around he tried to figure out just where he was standing and how it related to the task at hand. Closing his eyes and turning his head he put his hands deep into the crimson fluid and began feeling around and instantly retreated back as his hand was sliced by a sharp blade. Closing his fist he repeated his early action with his other hand this time a bit more carefully and was able to tell that the pieces he needed were right below the blades and that he was standing on top of something maybe a foot above the metal cutting edges.

_This could actually work _he thought while releasing a sigh of relief. But his moment of peace was interrupted by a slight chuckle.

"_Oh yeah I forgot to tell you. Umm, how can I say this without being too predicable? You see you have to get the puzzle pieces from beneath the blades as they are spinning on high and the block you're standing on begins to be torn to shreds. I figured little Jason Marks wasn't given any fair warning so why should you? Ok, I'm finished now. Please enjoy the rest of your life. You're only go sixty seconds left of it"_

"Noooo!" screamed Skills who frantically tried to open the door. Once again Dan, Nathan and Keith found themselves rushing in to save the boy just as the timer began to count down.

The sound of the blades spinning was deafening and was made even louder by the blocks of wood being chopped away beneath the boy's feet.

The three Scott men worked feverishly to free the boy of his confinements but nothing was working.

The glass? Unbreakable.

The lock? Firmly in place.

The door? Made of steal.

Meanwhile Skills was going crazy. His life was nearing the end and with only fifteen seconds left he knew there was no time left to think. He was like a dog with his hind leg trapped beneath a heavy stone with only two options to chose from.

Allow the elements to have their way with him, give up, lay still and die.

Or sever his leg and allow himself a small bit of freedom before he bleed to death.

Skills chose option two.

He stuck his hand down into the blades hoping that the thickness of his bone would stop the machine and give his friends more time to save him but when he did his plan, just like the years before failed.

He screamed as the metal torn into his flesh, ripping it from his bones as his hand became severed from his body followed almost immediately by his lower arm.

The pain was enough to bring the king of the jungle to his knees and was not any easier for the seventeen year old boy.

He looked up with teary eyes just in enough time to see his girlfriend trying to rush forward while being held back by Jake, Karen and Brooke.

He wanted to smile at her to let her know that shock was now taking over his body and he could barely feel anything any more. The clock wound down to three seconds and the block of wood he was standing on was now nothing but a sliver of paper. His body began thrashing around wildly and turning with the fast pace of the human blending machine as it ripped his feet from him and ground up his legs. There were pieces of the boy flying every where and soon there was nothing left to see.

The entire glass potion was covered in blood, coating its walls making it impossible to see anything else but rivers of red.

Dan, Keith and a frustrated Nathan slowly back away as the inanimate object continued to grind their friend into a thick human milkshake.

But just as they were about to walk away to comfort the sobbing women a single key was lowered from a string from the top of the contraption with a note attached to it.

Being the one closest to it Keith sighed and untied the key, handing it to Nathan before turning back to the note which read:

_Look down_

Following the instructions Keith saw a large red button on the front part of the blender. With his curiosity getting the best of him the man pressed the button and suddenly the noise that had been dominating the room for the past several minutes stopped.

He looked over to Nathan and Dan with a mixture of anger and grief.

For the key to saving Skills had been right there under their noses all along.


	7. Pieces Of A Whole

**Chapter Six: Pieces Of A Whole**

"_God damn it!" _

The words echoed throughout the hall as each one of the remaining captives stood motionless and emotionally spent. The looks on their faces all conveyed the same message, the very same sad, horrified and psychotic message.

Insanity was the name of the game and they were all willing participants. Their eyes held a glazed over far away look that foreshadowed a deep madness lurking within their souls, just resting at their finger tips. Mumbling and whispers, faces drained of color and emotions these are first signs of psychotic breaks and they had them all.

The man in the dark robe smiled to himself as he watched them, his little treasures huddled together like a small group of toy soldiers just waiting for their master to play with them, to give them his list of commands. They were so obedient, so eager to please him and for this he will reward them, well whoever was left anyway with a ride home perhaps.

He leaned back and propped his feet up on the desk in front of him with the monitors that showed the players of his game. They were still standing in the hall not wanting to continue but knowing that they had no other choice. This was just perfect. Way too perfect and once everything was said and done he would reveal himself to the survivors.

Manipulating the controls the game master zoomed in on his few favorite players. Although all of them have sinned and needed to be taught he did have a few break through performers if you will, that enticed him more then others.

First there was Nathan. Oh was he a fun one with a list of crimes to be held against him, it was almost a no brainier that he would be among the captives. He was cocky like his wretched father whom he despised and as the boy was just as self righteous. The young Scott boy had hurt so many people during his short time on earth but that was fine by him because if he didn't then there wouldn't be anyone as fun and fascinating in his toy bin.

Aside from this he knew Nathan was strong. He knew that no matter what challenge he laid before the boy that he would raise to the occasion and he had been right. Even though he was a jerk most of the time the dark hair boy was anything but weak. Perhaps another reason why he had chosen him, well that and the fact that he couldn't wait to see the look on his face once he removed his dark cloak and revealed himself.

It was going to be priceless.

He laughed out loud at the thought. Big bad Nathaniel Jay Scott was going to be reduced to tears when he saw him and it filled him with a profound joy that he hadn't felt in years.

Next there was Dan. Oh Danny had been so much fun from the very beginning and always managed to amuse him to no end. The man was a heartless son of a bitch and maybe, just maybe even crazier then he was. Well, then again maybe Dan was the reason for his insanity, who knew. He had crossed him so many times and had destroyed so many lived, including those of his family and so called friends that at some point someone he knew was bound to snap. But none of the others where quite as clever as him.

Standing across from Dan was the person he loved most in the world. Someone who was willing to walk amongst the group under the disguise of a player when they were actually his accomplish, his right hand man if you will and the only one who he considered to be his intellectual equal.

This person was trusted by most and fit right into the group without anyone giving it a single thought. They had no idea what this person was truly capable of and it shocked him. To the trained enough eyes this person's psychosis was almost as easily detectable as his was but then again he wasn't dealing with the brightest group of people who ever walked the face of the earth. However they were the most entertaining and easiest to fool.

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he remembered who was next on his lesson plan. The raven haired girl had no idea what was in store for her and truth be told he couldn't wait to see the look on her delicate features once the task was revealed to her. She always seemed so above it all. So all knowing and perfect that it was going to be fun to watch her fall, to watch her endure sweet misery. At one point he used to have faith in her. He used to love the girl but now she was just as weak, needy and self absorbed as the rest of them and it sickened him. It was also apparent to him that she enjoyed playing games with the minds, hearts and souls of others so it was only fitting that she get caught up in a little game of her own.

He rubbed his hands together and leaned in close to listen in on what was being said by the groups self appointed leader.

"Brooke" said Karen pointing to the white door in front of her. "You're next"

There were no words spoken after that. There were none left to be said that hadn't already been said before so with a quick hug shared between the girl and her friends she turned to face her challenge.

The dark haired girl walked over to the mother of her boyfriend, locking eyes with the woman for a split second then proceeded to stare ahead just past the wooden frame. Painted on the door were small drawing of mirrors, clothes, charge cards, a big house and a fancy sports car. Above it was the title: Skin Deep. Under the pictures there was a caption that read…

_Beauty is a curse on the world. It keeps us from seeing who the true monsters really are._

After reading this her heart speed up and began beating a hundred miles per minute, he could see it written all over her face. The anxiousness, the fear, the pain, all those sweet emotions came pouring out in that one look, in that one instant.

He loved pain. It was his unofficial bride, a marriage made in a mad man's sadistic heaven that he couldn't wait to drag her into.

"Dear sweet Brooke" he giggled to himself.

"Go on my charming little angel, open the door and see what marvelous lesson your master has planned for you"

His eyes sparkled with a dark glint just as the young girl opened the door and stepped back almost instantly blinded by the bright glare. The others quickly followed suite as light struck their eyes.

"What the hell?" she questioned, blinking several times and trying to regain a portion of her sight.

Once she did she gasped in horror at the vision before her. It wasn't as gruesome as the rest but that didn't make it any less frightening. The room had mirrors surrounding it with no glass inside. This was because the glass had been shattered into several jagged pieces which filled inside of what looked like a built in swimming pool in the middle of the floor.

"I don't understand" she said turning to face the group. "What is this?"

"_Hello B. Davis. So nice to see you my pretty, pretty girl, you seem a bit bothered by the shattered mirrors. Maybe this is because you are just as shattered, hollow and broken as they are, but don't worry we're about to change all of that darling and when everything's over you'll have me to thank for your absolution"_

Her lips trembled and her eyes glazed over as the man continued…


	8. Cutting Into You

**Chapter Seven: **Cutting Into You

Brooke stared blankly at the shiny daggers never once removing her eyes from them as the voice continued.

"_You see Ms. Davis I'm all too familiar with your kind. You walk around with your head held high commanding all of your little followers to do your biding, pretending as if the world is yours for the taking and there is no one on the planet that's better then you. You act as though nothing bothers you, as if you're above it all, as if you have the confidence to do anything when deep down you're just trying to hide all of your own insecurities while pointing and laughing at the flaws you see in others. You're a broken little girl who is desperate for the attention of anyone who's willing to give it to you, no matter how low you have to sink in order to get that attention. You constantly feel betrayed by your family and those whom you consider to be your friends whenever they don't do exactly as you please. It's funny how you never once stopped to ask yourself if it was your own behavior that has made your life as miserable and empty as it is"_

The young woman shook her head at the invisible source in denial of his accusations.

"That's not true" she spoke through tears.

"_Oh come now dear. We both know that it is. Lying is only going to make you feel even worse and trust me it will do nothing to ease your pain or your loneliness"_

"Shut up! You don't know a damn thing about me"

The walls seem to shake as the mystery man laughed. In fact it was more like an ear piercing sheik.

"_I really wish that you all would quit saying that seeing as how I obviously DO know you. How else would I go about putting together your lesson plan?"_

"Just stop with all of the patronizing jackass speech and tell me what you want from me? What do you want me to do?"

"_Wow patronizing? That's such a big word for such a small brain. Did you give yourself a head ache coming up with that one?"_

"Go to hell you son of a bitch!"

"_Now, now, Brooke name calling isn't very nice. Neither is using such foul language so I would strongly advise you and the others to come up with other forms of the English language in order to get your point across. Do we have an understanding?"_

His words hung heavily in the air as everyone silently agreed.

"_Good. Now here's what I would like you to do Ms. Davis. You have a chemical substance in your body that will start to liquefy your intestates in about ten minutes. The antidote is inside a syringe located in the pool of glass in which you will have to dive in and find before your body begins to shut down"_

"Oh no" Karen's voice rang out from in back of her as she wavered a bit.

She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, she wanted to do something, anything to stop this nightmare and ease her suffering but she couldn't. She knew that she could only make one of two choices. The first choice was to just lay down and die without putting herself through the pain of getting cut up and sliced to death. Her second choice was to dive in and go down fighting.

At the moment she didn't know which one she was going to choose.

"So what's the catch?" she spoke with a voice devoid of any emotion. It was as if she were watching a movie, speculating as to the out come.

"_If you fail your organs will start to liquefy unleashing upon you a crippling pain that will render you motionless as a large weight, located directly above the pool will drop down on you sending the broken pieces of glass through your body, slowly of course until you are at the bottom of the pool.. I like to call it the two for one special" he giggled._

"No she can't do this! There's no way she can do this. You're setting us all up to fail and you know it!!" cried Peyton as she ran to Brooke's side.

Even though the two girls were mad at each other there was no way that they would ever want to see the other girl dead. Hell, no human being with a heart would want to see that.

"_Awe, isn't this sweet? P Sawyer is sticking up for her B. Davis. How touching? Hate to cut this little reunion short ladies but Lucas is waiting and you don't want me to kill the kid out of boredom now do you?"_

"No, please. You can't do that" said Karen as the others were still too numb to speak.

"_Very well then, Ms. Davis the timer has been set to three minutes. Good luck. I get the feeling that you're going to need it"_

"Brooke I…" began Peyton.

"Yeah I know" replied the dark haired girl as she moved to the edge of the pool. It was in that moment that she heard the ticking of the timer as time started to slip away.

With eyes full of tears and limbs that were trembling with apprehension she jumped in and instantly felt the skin of her legs being shredded and pricked by the glass. Not wanting to think about the pain, Brooke plunged her arms into the sea of glass up to her elbows and started moving the pieces around.

God the wanted to scream her head off but not wanting to give the evil bastard the satisfaction she bit down on her lip, fighting the urge as she thrashed around in the glass wildly searching for the antidote that was supposed to save her life. She could now taste her own blood as her lip split from the force of her teeth grinding against it.

The broken images all around her were now stained red with blood as continued to tare at her skin, separating it from her body. She was now digging deeper, her flesh becoming more and more mangled as it parted from her body.

She could hear the screams of her friends as she became dizzy from all the blood loss and the effects of the chemical that was coursing through her veins. She knew that she was going to pass out any moment now and with the time slowly coming to an end she did the only thing she could do, she began screaming almost as if it would help her stay awake and aid her in the fight to save her life.

She screamed her lungs out as her already contorted flesh was pierced by more sharp edges. She threw herself down into the pool, glass cutting into her chest, face and upper body as time dwindled down.

"Ahhhh" she screamed as a piece torn into her once flawless face, shredding it, scarring it for life.

She was now desperate as she closed her eyes and stuck her face into pool of death and moved her it around, pushing pieces of glass aside in her frantic search for the antidote.

She was now crying hysterically, as she could feel the heat rising within her signaling the beginning of the end. She didn't want to die, not this way, not here, not at the tender age of seventeen.

This wasn't fair.

Why did this have to happen to her, to her friends?

What in God's name had they done to piss of a monster so vicious, so evil?

As these thoughts ran through her head, her red, blood soaked hand brushed against something plastic with a long thin point.

Before she knew what she was doing she picked up the foreign object and stuck the think point into her arm as tears and blood rolled down her face which was littered with chips of glass that were sticking out of it. She waited for a moment unsure as to what she had just done, not knowing whether or not she was going to live or die.

That's when the timer sounded and the weight began it's descent from the ceiling.

She knew that she had to get the hell out of there but she couldn't. Every time she tried to move her legs the glass cut into them even move. Seeing that she wouldn't make it out without any help Nathan, Dan and Jake finally found the strength to move forward, seizing her arms as she screamed as their hands connected with her exposed, torn flesh.

Their first try was unsuccessful as Brooke felt herself sink back into the pool and the familiar pain shoot through her legs. As her limbs went flying her arms were flung up high, touching the weight that was now dangerously close.

Nathan, Dan and Jake tried again as Karen, Peyton and still grief stricken Bevin yelled that time was running out and that they needed to hurry.

She remembered being pulled.

She remembered the unbearable pain of skin being ripped away from her body.

She remembered wanting to die.

But this was all she would remember seeing, hearing and feeling right before everything went black.


	9. Split In Two

**Chapter Eight: **Split In Two

Sitting in the hallway the lights above their heads kept flickering on and off, dividing it's movements between light and dark, serving as a symbolic reminder that their time was running out. However their bodies refused to move, trapping them within the confines of their own consciousness and fear of what was to come.

The rusting, mold covered air vents pumped out nothing but dust infested air causing them to grow weaker then what they already were and filling their lungs with poison. Their eyes were half closed not only due to sleep deprivation but also because hope was a luxury that was lost to them. The notion was now nothing more then a distant memory, something from childhood that had vanished right along with their invisible friend the second they woke up in the devil's lair with no way of escape.

Sure two of the players had survived incredible odds but there were others who had not been so lucky and with more players' left and more twisted games to be played the future was unclear. They all knew this. Jake, Karen, Dan, Keith, Bevin, Brooke, Haley, Peyton and Nathan all sat along side the hallway, none daring to look at the others for fear of what they may see in their eyes, a truth that they themselves were trying desperately not to face.

They didn't know how long they had been sitting there after rescuing the raven haired girl from certain death but each of them were well aware of the fact that every second spent sitting in this hallway was a second too long.

"We have to keep moving" he spoke out loud to no one in particular.

"We know that"

"Then why isn't any one doing anything?"

"Why aren't you?"

No one acknowledged the words being tossed around by Nathan and Jake. They just continued to seep deeper into despair.

"Because, because…I…" all words seemed to escape him at the moment however he knew the reason.

He was scared. More scared then he had ever been of anything in his entire life but the worst part about it was that he had to keep going. He knew that time was ticking away, that his brother needed to be rescued, that his wife would eventually be called upon to play this murder's game and that they could all end up being locked in this place forever, entombed with corpuses until they became one themselves.

"Because he's just as scared as we are and there's nothing any of us can do about it except keep moving to try to save Lucas and to try to leave this place in one piece. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less" said Haley rising to her feet and helping Nathan do the same.

"Haley's right" replied Peyton and she stood and pulled Brooke up by the arm. "We have to continue. Sitting here isn't going to help us or Lucas"

The others silently agreed as they started to walk down the hall once again with zombie like movements in search of the next door. Finding none, they made their way around the corner where a case of stairs awaited them.

The wood was dust reddened, worn and rotted with a broken banister that had rusted nails sticking out of it. Everyone shot each other a look and began climbing the crumbling and less then sturdy stair case, being careful to avoid all of the visible and possibly hidden dangers or traps.

When they made it to the top the wall color changed from dirt covered white to puke green with patches of tan, showing the ware and tare of neglect. Pictures of them lined the top and bottom of the walls, broken but them pieced together just enough for the people in them to be recognized. However they all had one thing in common, a piece, one single piece was missing from each of their photos. Some had heats missing, some had eyes their gouged out, others had holes in their heads and arms missing.

"Oh dear God" said Peyton as she looked to the others.

An extremely bloody Brooke and Bevin clung to one another in tears, unable to bare the sight of their surroundings any longer. Instead they focus on the hall in front of them, trying to find the next door and hopefully becoming one step closer to leaving this place.

"This is some seriously creepy shit" remarked Keith as he stopped in front of Deb's picture.

It had flames drawn on it and she had brown colored skin, obviously the mad man's sick idea of a joke given the way that the woman had met her demise. Next to it was a picture of himself split in half.

"Come on guys, we can't let this guy get in our heads. We have to stay focused and we can't do that if we're overly emotional"

"Jake's right, let's just keep moving" said Karen.

Off her words the group continued down the now darker corridor with some leaning against the wall for the support that their limbs no longer seemed to be able to give them, that was until a voice all out to them.

"I found it"

The voice came from Dan as he stood in front of the door waiting for the others to follow. When they arrived at the door and read the name they all turned to Keith who immediately took his place in front of the door.

The sign underneath his picture read: _Split In Two_

"Well I guess I'm up" Keith said with a fake smile trying to keep everyone calm.

"Please be careful Keith" cried Karen as she embraced him tightly as if never wanting to let go.

"Don't worry Kar. I'll be fine"

Dan cringed at the sound of the nickname that he had given the woman. Keith had to have known how much it hurt him when he used it. She was his Karen and Lucas was his son yet Keith always found a way to claim them as his own. What with him being glued to Karen's side all these years and taking her to the small business owner's banquet two years ago and joining Lucas on the court for the father son charity basketball game. It was all just too much for him to deal with and now his brother could removed from their lives forever.

The thought, as screwed up as it was caused him to shield his smile from the rest of the group. When he looked up he noticed Keith staring at him.

"Good luck big brother" he said with a tight smile hoping that no one had witnessed his moment of happiness.

"Yeah, thanks Dan"

With a suspicious look shot in the direction of his brother Keith opened the door and stepped inside.

From his view he could see a series of glass doors that were full length from the ceiling to the floor and were parted just enough for him to get through. They were on what looked like an automatic sliding machine that could swiftly slam the glass together in a short period of time. At the end of the glass lined path, laid a small space with a degree from Ohio State University hanging on the wall along with a wedding dress, a tux and a picture of himself with Karen and baby Lucas.

"_Hello Keith. I want to play a game. For years you have been at the mercy of others. First your parents, then your brother and finally the mistake your brother left behind and the woman attached to it. You gave up your dreams of being a successful businessman and decided to abandon your education to a University that would have aided you in doing so. You let a full ride scholarship pass through your fingers for the sake of your brother's son and his ex-girlfriend, a woman who has never wanted you to be anything other then a friend. You let your life pass you by year after year just hoping that she would show some kind of interest in you, hoping that you will one day be good enough for her, how pathetic"_

"You don't know a damn thing about me. If you did then you would know that I did what I did because I loved Lucas and I knew that he deserved more then what my ass of a brother did to him and to his Mom"

"_Oh how touching. Did you know that while you were laying awake at night, in bed, pining away for her that your beloved Karen was in the bed of another. The very same man you despised"_

Keith quickly spun around to face Karen who instantly went pale at the accusation while Dan shifted uncomfortably.

"What the hell is he talking about?" questioned Nathan.

As much as he was trying to shield himself from the truth, in his heart of hearts he already knew it and hated his Dad for it.

"_I'm so glad you asked Nathaniel. You see for the first year of his marriage your father made nightly visits to the Roe household to spend time with the son he really wanted and the woman he truly loved. Once he was done playing father of the year with Lucas and doctor with Karen he returned home to your dear sainted mother who had already drank herself into a drunken stupor because of her husband's love for another woman"_

"Karen please tell me that it's not true. That you didn't sleep with Dan the whole time that…"

His question was answered the moment that the woman chose to look away from him.

"This is unbelievable! This is fucking unbelievable! How could you do this to me after I stood by you! How could you do this to me knowing how I felt about you? I gave up everything for you and that boy only for you to betray me! To sleep with that no good lying, cheating son of a bitch! How could you do this to me? Better yet how could you let me stay and suffer the way that I did?"

"I NEVER ASKED YOU TO DO IT! I NEVER ASKED YOU TO STAY!"

All eyes were now on Karen as she forced herself to look the blond haired man in the eyes.

"I never asked you to stay with me and Lucas Keith. You knew how I felt about Dan, you knew that we grew up together and how hard it was going to be to live without the man that I have loved sense the sixth grade!"

"So that gives you the right to trap me"

"Oh give me a break Keith. We both know that I did not trap you. I begged you time and time again to go on with your life and that Lucas and I would be fine but you chose to stay. You chose to stick around, hoping that I would change my mind about our relationship so don't you dare put this on me. It was your decision. Yours and yours alone"

"Whatever Karen. You're not the person I thought you were. Too bad it took me this long to figure it out" he said turning away from her and once again facing the challenge that lay before him.

"_Sorry to break up this little after school special but time is ticking away and if you want to save Lucas then you had better listen. Since you enjoy being at the mercy of others so much Mr. Scott I find it fitting that you are now at the mercy of myself and father time. Your task is to gather each item one of the items that have been driving your every move one at a time and bring them back to the start line one by one while caring the backpack located to the right on your shoulders since you like carrying the weight of the world upon your shoulders. But hurry your time is limited to thirty seconds at which time the glass doors will slam shut possibly with you in between them. Good-bye and good luck"_

"You can do this Uncle Keith" said Nathan not daring to look at anyone else.

He could easily see that the man's sprit was broken but he couldn't allow it to get the best of him. He had to focus in order to make it out of this alive.

Keith didn't seem to hear his nephew's words as he picked up the forty pounds of extra weight and strapped it to his back. Without a word spoken to anyone the man started to run to the other side of the room as the clock began to wind down.

"That's it Keith keep going" yelled Peyton as the man sat the first item down and ran back to gather another.

"Come on Keith. You've got to pick up the speed" added Haley as she saw the clock dwindle down to nineteen seconds.

"Hurry up Keith. There's isn't much time left"

Nathan was becoming more and more anxious as Keith set the wedding dress down and headed back for the picture as the clock now had his time at eleven seconds.

At that point that they were all counting down as he passed the first two of seven doors.

Keith was tired and struggling along as the weight on his back dragged his already slow pace down even more.

Ten

His breath was catching in his now dry throat.

Nine.

His heart pounded loudly in his ears, causing a sharp pain in his chest.

Eight.

His legs were cramping up on him rendering him almost motionless.

Seven.

He could hear them chanting his name, screaming out to him as he passed two more doors.

Six

He was so close.

Five

Victory was just at his finger tips as he passed another set of door.

Four

His lungs were burning.

Three

His legs were going numb and he was hunched over in pain.

Two

The weights were getting the best of him just as he was about to pass through the last set of doors. He took off the back pack and threw it up ahead so that he could take that last step

One

He threw his hands up in victory. He had made it.

Zero

Too bad he forgot to pass through the doors completely.

The doors all suddenly slammed closed. At that moment a look of shock came over the man's face seconds before the front part of his body slid down revealing the other half that had been caught behind the doors, making his insides visible to those he had left behind.

Out of the horror, the mist of the chaos and fear there was nothing left in the house of horror but a thickening blanket of silence…


	10. Alone In The Dark

**A/N: Hey guys I'm so sorry that it took forever to update this story. I just wanted to get at least one of my stories updated before the new year and this one won out over the others. So I hope you all enjoy it and to all of my readers have a safe and wonderful Holiday and an awesome New Year!**

**Chapter Nine: **Alone In The Dark

Screaming was all that could be heard. Looks of terror and desperation was all that could be seen as the remaining players of the game stared down at what used to be good ole Uncle Keith. The man that they would go to in times of crisis, the man that Karen Roe could rely on was now nothing more then a pile of blood and intestines as a piece of paper with numbers fell from the ceiling. Nathan stepped forward, retrieving it while trying not to look down. Karen hid her face from everyone as she crouched down at the end of the hallway not daring to make eye contact with anyone but him.

Dan Scott slowly made his way towards her, passing the sea of grief stricken teenagers with a dead eyed stare. He appeared to be in a state of shock, anger and bliss. Shock because he had never seen any shit like that in his life, anger because someone else had all the control, a roll that he always seemed to posses and bliss because the bastard that had stolen his family was dead. Yes Keith was his brother but he had always been a real pain in the ass not to mention the one person in the world that he was jealous of. Keith had Karen's admiration, Lucas's love and respect not to mention most of the people in Tree Hill thought that he was an angel whom of which was capable of walking on water while he himself was considered the devil. But none of that mattered now because big brother was as dead as a door nail and if they can make it out of this house of horrors alive he and Karen would be able to make a brand new start together. The way it was always meant to be.

"This isn't real, this isn't real"

He heard the woman he loved chant. She was rocking back and forth like some patient in a mental ward seemingly on the verge of hysteria and it was going to be his job to save her and keep her from going over the edge.

"Karen" he whispered softly while kneeling beside her "Honey you know this wasn't your fault, right?"

The mass of dark hair lifted to reveal the face of a woman with red eyes, red cheeks and soul as heavy as a load of bricks.

"Isn't it? All Keith ever wanted to do was take care of me and Lucas and all I needed to do was love him the same way that he loved me but I couldn't" she paused, looking away to sob.

With a heavy sigh she looked up again.

"I'm a horrible person. Keith gave up his life for me and I…"

"Do not do this to yourself Karen. I won't let you. Keith stayed behind knowing that you loved me and that he would never have a chance with you. It's not your fault that after all this time he deluded himself into thinking other wise. Karen you're a good person who has been nothing but honest with him this entire time and there's nothing more that you could have done" Dan spoke tenderly as he took her face into his hands "and once we rescue our boy we'll leave this place and work on trying to piece our lives back together the best way we know how, ok? But we can't afford to fall apart, not now. Not while that monster still has Lucas"

The woman stared back into the eyes of the man she once loved and simply shook her head, not knowing what else to do but trust in his words.

A few feet away stood Nathan with a distraught Haley crying into one side of his shoulder while Bevin took comfort in the other. Although his attention should have been focused on his wife he couldn't help but stare ahead at his father and his mistress. The thought made him laugh. His mother had stolen his father from Karen but little did the woman know that she had stolen him right back. God was his family fucked up. He shook his head in disgust as the older Scott wrapped his arms around the mother of his first child. The boy sighed and closed his eyes because as much as he wanted to confront his father and call him out of his bullshit he knew that saving his brother was more important and it was up to him to refocus the group's attention.

"Guys" he said looking around at the remaining players.

Brooke was hugging herself and staring off into space. Peyton was leaning against Jake looking just as miserable and Bevin was standing beside him with one of Haley's arms wrapped around her.

"We have to move on"

"I don't want to. I just want to go home. I just want to go back home and forget that this nightmare ever happened. That's all I want…that's all I want" spoke a small voice from someplace close.

It turns out the voice was that of Brooke Davis. The normally perky cheerleader looked like death with black streak marks running down her pale face, a body that trembled despite her best efforts and eyes that held a far away gaze.

"We all do Brooke but we have to save ourselves and Lucas but if we don't play the game then we'll all die here anyway so the best thing to do is to keep moving"

"_Very well put Mr. Scott"_

The eerily tone they all learned to hate returned.

"_Now I have something very special that I want to show you all. So if you'll just take a little stroll down the hallway and turn to the right, you will see a wonderful, marvelous sight"_

Everyone looked at each other no one daring to make the first move that was until Dan's curiosity got the best of him. As he took the first two steps the others got in line behind him, not wanting the group to be split up. However as they rounded the corner they were blinded by a strong force of light. It took them a while to adjust but when they did the all too familiar feeling of regret overtook them.

There before them was a corridor decorated with candy canes, pictures of elves, a red Christmas tree bright red, green and gold lights with a sign that said _**Have A Very Bloody Christmas **_with dead bodies strung up on both sides. Under the tree were presents wrapped in human flesh with names of each of the contestants written on them. Next to the tree was a decomposed male sitting in a chair with a Santa suit on equipped with a skeletal body of a little girl on his lap holding a deformed doll. On the floor there were spaces marked with each one of their names.

"What the hell is this shit?" a voice called out with another right behind it.

"Oh my God I think I'm going to be sick"

"That makes two of us"

"_Is this how my little holiday spectacular is received with such ungratefulness? You know I worked really hard on this display and I put so much thought into getting you just the right gifts. You know guys, you're really hurting my feelings here"_

"Go to hell you sick freak" cried Peyton backing away from the scene.

"_Now, now Ms. Sawyer there's no need to get you thong in a knot. I was just trying to be generous and show that you can still enjoy the holidays even when you're away from home"_

"Cut the crap and just tell us what all this is about" yelled a very impatient Dan.

"_Well since you asked so nicely" the man spoke slightly amused by the reactions of his captives "Inside each one of those boxes there is a small gift that will help you to stay alive in you next test. Once your mission is complete you will be given a path back to the second floor where the game will resume. Karen honey be a dear and hand everyone there gifts will you and do it quickly time is running out. Oh yes and once have received your little package make sure that you stand on the spot that is marked with your name"_

Not wasting a second the woman did as she was told handing out the flesh covered mystery gifts. Once she was finished the older woman retrieved her gift from the tree and stood in her rightful place.

"_Okay boys and girls open up your surprise and take a look at what Santa got you"_

Everyone reluctantly did as they were told.

Nathan received a dagger.

Haley received a rope.

Dan received a gun.

Karen received a wrench.

Peyton a box cutter and Jake a stop watch.

"I don't understand" cried Brooke looking down at the object in her hand which was a large key.

"_Why am I not surprised? You were never really that bright were you sweetheart? Anyway these gifts will help you to fend off whatever lies beneath the surface in this little impromptu game that I'll just call The Kill Factor where the object is to kill or be killed. Good luck players"_

"This is crazy. Why the hell are we playing some other game when we were all supposed to be here in order to save Lucas? This doesn't make any sense. What the hell are you trying to pull?"

Jake was now doing the one thing in his life that he prided himself on never doing. Jake was panicking. However he wasn't the only one.

"_Well" the voice said with a pause "Because every game needs one really good twist. Oh and because, well, you kids are starting to bore me"_

Before anyone had the chance to speak the floor gave way leading them into darkness and speeding towards the unknown on something that could only be described as a giant slide. Out of breath, scared and disoriented the players each reached their destination, hitting the concrete ground hard.

They felt around in the black pit trying to grab hold of a familiar body, screaming desperately to hear the voices of their fellow contestants. That's when the lights came on. Each one of them blinked several times trying to regain their sight for what seemed like the millionth time in three hours

And then it happened.

They were all frozen by fear, trapped within their own bodies and forced to deal with the one thing that they hadn't faced since this whole nightmare began, the one thing that kept them from truly going over the edge.

That one thing?

Being all alone…


	11. Disbelief

**A/N: Okay I know it's been a long while but please be patient guys. I really don't have access to a computer the way I used to but I'm going to try and borrow my best friends as much as possible in order to complete this story. I hope you all enjoy the new chapter!**

**Chapter Ten: **Disbelief

The young woman stood alone in a mist of confusion. She didn't understand why she was left standing alone in the cold, dank hallway while the others were sent into the bowels of the unknown. This whole night had been filled with horrors that she could never have imagined within the confinements of her own mind and she found it troubling that someone was capable of such evils. Running her hand through her blond hair the young woman, against her better judgement called out.

"Hello" she continued searching the hall for even the slighest hint of life.

"Is anyone there?"

It was a stupid question and even with her rather low IQ she understood that. Of course someone was there. It was the very same person who was holding she and what was left of her small group of friends as players in one really twisted game. Wringing her hands together she continued down the hallway past the decayed Santa unsure of what else to do being certain to turn back every now and again to make sure that she wasn't being followed. The sound of nothingness around her frightened the girl beyond belief and she was starting to pray that she would find someone soon. In fact the more she thought about it the more she wondered why she hadn't received a mystery gift as the others had. It was rather odd that she of all people in the group would be left alone after all, she never did anything to hurt anyone in her life. She was always considered the air head that everyone made fun of and never took seriously. She didn't understand why anyone would want to hurt her or any of them for that matter. Although she knew that her friends were not the most innocent bunch of people in the world they didn't deserve to die because of it. Especially not like this.

Lights flickered overhead with a buzzing sound that made her uneasy. She paused for a moment looking at the flawed fixture with a little more intrigue then she would have but part of her was happy for the distraction. Maybe if she stood still and out of the way she could make it out of this death trap in one piece. Deep down she knew it was wishful thinking but she needed to hold onto something or fall apart. Too bad for her someone else had other plans.

The hairs on the back of her neck seemed to stand at attention on their own long before she had the feeling of no longer being alone. Taking a few deep ragged breaths the girl spun around on her heels just as the light flicked off for the longest moment she had ever experienced in her life. The sound of a demented dolls's laughter filled the air adding to her fear just as the light switched back on reavealing an animal headed figured in front of her causing her to scream louder then she had all night then the next thing she knew her world went black…

Whe she came to her vision was foggy and pain was coming from every part of her body, pain so bad it almost caused her to pass out again. She blinked several times and tried to push past the pain and violent shakes in order to focus. The room, like all others before it was dark, smelly and held nothing but a violent end to life within it's walls. With that came the harsh realization that she was going to be the next victim.

In the distance she could make out a block of television sets with imjages that she recognized as her friends. In the far right hand corner was the creepies doll she had ever seen with round black eyes , a big white face with read markings on it. It had black hair that stood up on it's head and wore a black and white suit with a red bow tie. The worst part was that a crooked smile was plastered on it's blood red lips as it erupted into that horrible laugh she had heard in the hallways moments before being attacked.

Panic overtook her. She tried her damnedest to scream, to move to do anything but the gag in her mouth allowed no sounds to escape it and the pain shooting through her body let her know that she was being held in place by ojects that looked like large screws. Small puddles of her own blood surrounding her. She wanted to get as far anyway from this place as humanly possible but it was to no avail. There was nothing and no one that could help her now.

"Hello Bevin"a voice called out to her.

She couldn't believe who it was as her eyes were finally able to focus. She tried once more to yell but the person in front of her only shook his head as if being amused by a small child. He then smiled a cold hateful grin that caused the young woman to cringe at it's hidden meaning. She watched him, unable to turn away or hide her astonishment.

How could he of all people be capable of hurting her or anyone else? Especially people who at one point meant so much to him?

How did the good boy of Tree Hill become such a monster?

"Are you enjoying the show so far? I know I am" he laughed mostly to himself as he stared down at her with cold eyes that longed for death and revenge.

"I think her brain has finally imploded on it's self baby. Maybe we should just kill the bitch and get it over with" the woman at his side spoke with boredom in her voice.

She then smiled down at the girl almost enjoying the look of shock and betrayal that blanketed her features.

Bevin's eyes closed for a short while as if she were trying to process what she was seeing. The truth about these two people was a terrifying reveloation to her, one that she had rather not known. Silent tears streaked down her face as she thought about what they had done and what they were about to do to her as well as the others. Images of her boyfriends demise played over and over again in her head forcing her body to shake as she cried.

This wasn't right, it wasn't fair and she didn't understand how they could be so cruel, so heartless.

"Oh poor, sweet, intellectually impaired Bevin. Has the truth about us shocked you into hysteria?" the young male smirked as he moved to stand behind his accomplice, placing his arm around her waist.

"I'm sure you're wondering why we've done all of this. Why such grotesque violence was necessary in teaching our lessons to those closest to us? Well we've tried to be nice about it but the mother fuckers just don't listen very well. I mean think about it. There are good people in this world who suffer everyday. Whether they are diagnosed with diseases that thave no cures, betrayed by those who love them the most or just plain and simply because life's a bitch sometimes and shit happens to them that should be happening to the fucker up the street who molested someone's ten year old kid" he paused almost as if he were relishing in his own intellect.

His female counter part smiled in his diretion before approaching the girl and continuing.

"Now I ask, what do you do when the people in your own world don't value the lives that they lead? How do you make them better then they are today? How do you make them realize that the lives that they were given, although far from perfect, are worth living while still maintaining the highest standard of morality? How do you stop others from living in the shadows watching others live their live while allowing their own to slip by the way side? Now you could of course try talking to them but we all know how that turns out. They yell at you, they tell you to mind your own God damn business all the while pretending that they know what's best for them when clearly they don't know shit. It's basic human nature to only see what we want to see. To make excuses as to why we are the way we are and pretend that these excuses are perfectly acceptable. That's where we come in"

"You see those who are ungrateful to be alive should be put to the test to see if they can let go of whatever vanities, addictions or fears that they hold onto in order to save their own lives. However if they allow their vanities, addictions and fears to stop them, well then the life that they never valued in the first place is gone" he paused again with a look that held a twinge of disappointment.

It was as if he really believed in the words that he spoke but regretted the fact that the others couldn't quite see things his way.

To her it was just down right scary.

"So do you get it now you little fool? Do you understand what we're trying to accomplish here?" he screamed startling her.

She had never witnessed anything like this in her life. Her former acquaintance was out of his damn mind and so was his girlfriend. The young girl saw no apology, no resentment towards her as she looked into his eyes. It was a strange glance, she had noticed it before but thought nothing of it until this moment. She now understood. In fact more then she wanted to. It made her realize that his usually calm demeanor held a darkness that always remained hidden to the untrained eye but to the very few people close to him they had to have seen it. They had to know what kind of horrors that he was capable of, but oddly it goes back to what he himself had stated. People only see what they want to see and now this notion and eagerness to turn a blind end will be their end.

The girl, her childhood friend had always been a little distant and lost in her own world with eyes that were empty and soulless. What some would consider the eyes of the devil himself. If anyone would be crazy enough to pull something like this off it would be her.

"I'll take that as a yes. Now Bevin" he said walking over to the monitors, picking an object off of the table and placing it in front of his mouth bringing forth the voice she dreaded hearing all night.

"_I want to play a game. For most of your life you have been ridiculed by others because of your lack of intellect while hiding the fact that you weren't so dense after all. You live to flatter people whom you despise in order to impress other people who despise you thereby committing the ultimate sin. You changed who you are to meet the the approval of others, to be liked by the in crowd. Well now you must suffer for your deceit. As you can see there are screws placed on either side of your temples when the machine starts the screws drill past your skinm and into your bones. The ones in your temples will plow through your skull and into your brain spilling it's contents letting you know what it's like to truly be brainless. I thought about what you might do in order to free yourself but upon further investigation I drew a different conclusion…you're just not worth saving"_

Horror filled her body as the girl blew her a kiss and flicked the switch signaling the beginning of her end. Pain erupted from every part of her. The room now seemed to be spinning out of control adding to the loud thundering of the machine. She wanted to scream but she couldn't. The pain was so great that no sound would pass her vocal cords and she doubt it would have been any different even if the gag were removed from her mouth. God she just wanted this to end even if that mean that she would never see the light of day again, never draw another breath, she didn't care.

Maybe it was just for their sick pleasure that the screws in her head seemed to be a few minutes behind the ones in her body. They were enjoying the show and she knew it. They were depraved animals, evil beyond all comperhension and she only hoped that one of the remaining players would be able to take them out.

Next she felt the cold steel that rested againnst her temples start to move, slowly at first as if they wanted to simply offer her up a taste of what was to come. Then it sped up. Her body shook wildly as the metallic taste of her own blood filled her mouth, the girl's eyes rolled up into her head leaving a grayish white to fill the void. Blood flowed like a river followed by pieces of brain matter, splattering over everything within it's path of destruction.

The pair smiled wickedly, turning off the maachine and turning back to the monitors as if this were just another task in their normal everyday lives.

"That was fun but it's nothing compared to what I have planned for them. Oh by the way sweetheart you are a phenomenal actress"

The girl bowed dramatically.

"Thank you sexy but I think you're the one who deserves the praise more then I. You know if it weren't for your ingenious ideas we wouldn't have had this wonderful learning experience. I would never have been able to come up with half of these ideas on my own"

"That's one way of looking at it. But don't sell yourself short honey, you have a beautifully imaginative and narcissistic mind. That's one of the many things that I love about you" he said bending down and pressing his lips to the back of her neck.

Although she tingled all over from the sensation, she knew that they had business to attend to.

She turned around slowly, smiling at him with love and admiration in her eyes. Placing a finger over his lips she spoke seductively.

"Now , now, sexy. We'll have plenty of time for that later. Right now we need to see how our other players are fairing"

He gave her the look of a disappointed child before raising his hands in defeat and sitting down, stretched out in his chair, body relaxed readying himself for the ultimate viewing pleasure. She place herself upon his lap as they watched their wicked game progress to the next level.

Their next victim…Haley James Scott.


End file.
